Brian Selznick & Harry Lloyd: 'I remember my husband blissed out dancing in his arms'

The American author and the British actor met in 2009 when Lloyd was starring in A View from the Bridge, at the Duke of York's Theatre in London

Lloyd, right, says of Selznick: ‘He’s got a varied life and is surrounded by such fascinating people’ (Flora Hanitijo)

Brian Selznick, 49

Selznick (left in picture) is the award-winning American author and illustrator of bestselling books including 'Wonderstruck' and 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret', which was adapted into Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film 'Hugo'. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, and San Diego, California, with his husband

Harry and I met in 2009 when he was in A View from the Bridge, at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. I was able to go backstage because I'm friends with his mother, Marion Lloyd, who was an editor at my publisher, Scholastic UK. I remember drinking champagne and laughing and feeling very glamorous. Harry and I hit it off right away.

A little later I was thinking about making a book that would be set in the theatre. I was eager to talk to Harry about his experiences as an actor and he ended up taking me on backstage tours of the various theatres in which he'd performed. I remember standing amid all these ancient ropes and old wooden beams, with piles of canvas scenery and that beautiful musty old smell you get backstage. It was dusty and mysterious, and in the half-lit space he pointed up into the rigging and told me how theatres were built by former sailors around the 18th century, as they weren't afraid of heights, and could tie knots and ropes. That's why so many words used in the theatre, such as "crew" and "deck" and "rigging", come from the sea.

Harry was very charming, and I'd get fun updates from him whenever he'd been on set, my favourite being behind-the-scenes photos he sent me from the day he filmed his Game of Thrones character Viserys Targaryen having a melted crown poured on his head. They made that character blond, so people mostly seem to like him as a blond in films now.

When Harry needed to practice a waltz scene he'd be dancing with Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady [during a dream sequence, as the young Denis Thatcher] I suggested that my husband David could help him; after the three of us had an evening out, I remember the two of them waltzing merrily across the cobblestones beneath a flickering street lamp, my husband blissed out dancing in Harry's arms. David now tells everyone that he once stood in for Meryl Streep to dance in the arms of Harry Lloyd. It turns out, though, that Harry had learnt entirely the wrong dance!

When Harry and I do find ourselves in the same city – usually New York or London – we are always excited to catch up, and each time we meet, it propels our friendship further.

Harry's mother is a direct descendant of Charles Dickens, and Harry himself made a wonderful Herbert Pocket in the TV adaptation of Great Expectations. He doesn't talk too much about the Dickens connection, but it's lovely to think of this electricity being passed down to him.

Harry Lloyd, 31

Making his TV debut at 16, the British actor has appeared in theatre productions including 'The Duchess of Malfi' at the Old Vic, and 'A View From the Bridge' at The Duke of York's. He has also appeared in TV series including 'Game of Thrones' and 'Manhattan', and in films including 'The Iron Lady' and 'The Theory of Everything'. He lives in London

Brian dresses a lot better than me and he's a lot more meticulous and organised. He'd probably say that my worst habit is my lateness, but he's patient with it!

I met him in my dressing room when I was doing A View from the Bridge. My mum had brought a few friends backstage to show me off to, including Brian, and we had a glass of wine and a chat. Straight away he stood out as someone very modern and yet quite old-fashioned: modern glasses, unkempt hair, yet he dresses quite formally. A week later I got a card from him, saying how much he'd enjoyed meeting me and seeing the play, which was really sweet.

At that point he was already beginning to think about his new book, The Marvels, and he asked my mum if I would be able to show him around some theatres in London, to help him research it. So we met up on a cold winter Saturday morning, in Trafalgar Square, and talked for ages about the theatre, books, relationships and travel: it was cool and so interesting, as he's got a varied life and is surrounded by such fascinating people.

I've worked in a few West End theatres and I knew the doormen, so we traipsed around theatres such as the Garrick and the Duke of York's, and we spent a magical morning meeting interesting people backstage, who showed us around and gave us a history lesson; it made me feel proud to be a British actor, and all that wooden rigging gave him the idea to start The Marvels on board a ship.

Having bonded over history, we've become good friends. He's introduced me to some great places, such as Dennis Severs' house in east London. It's an extraordinary 18th-century house you travel through, to piece together a story; as you walk through you're not meant to talk, but Brian kept whispering to me to point out little bits he knew about.

I stayed at his Brooklyn apartment once and saw all the art trinkets and kooky things he's bought on his travels. It's filled with hundreds of silent-film posters and gallery flyers and strange, quaint things collected from markets. Whenever we meet in London, I have to watch him, as he always looks the wrong way for traffic – he's never worked it out!

I've never seen him being cranky: he has a gleefulness and excitement about things that most people lose after childhood. He gets so excited about some ideas, he even talks about them like a child, with a wonder; it's no surprise people want to work with him.

'The Marvels' (£16.99, Scholastic) is out now. 'Manhattan', a new TV series starring Harry Lloyd, is currently showing on AMC UK