The 5-minute Interview: Bill Ward, Actor

'In moments of weakness I cook mince'

Bill Ward, 40, was Charlie Stubbs in 'Coronation Street' until last year but now plays Sir Lancelot in Monty Python's 'Spamalot' at the Palace Theatre, London

I wish people would take more notice of...

People around them, and of the earth.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Having a quiet sit down before the warm-up for Spamalot. It helps me to get my head in the right place.

The most surprising thing to happen to me was...

Getting run over when I first came to London. I didn't realise Tottenham Court Road was one-way. I ended up unconscious. I came round but I hurt some knee ligaments.

I am not a politician but...

It must be an extraordinarily hard job running an entire country. I'm an actor so I'm not qualified.

A phrase I use too often...

"Two things". There seems to be at least two things to say about most things.

A common misperceptionof me is that...

Because I've been in Coronation Street people think I must be from Manchester but I'm from Newcastle.

I'm good at...

Boiling eggs. I always know when they're ready.

I'm very bad at...

Being patient. I don't like being put on hold or waiting for buses

The ideal night out is...

Seeing friends and the people who are closest to me.

In moments of weakness I...

Cook mince and listen to country and western. It makes me feel better. My dad was a butcher, so we grew up eating a lot of meat, especially shepherd's pie. I like country and western but it gets a bad press. I'm into Uncle Tupelo and Ryan Adams.

You know me as an actor but in truer life I'd have been an...

An ad man. I worked in advertising for 10 years but I always wanted to be an actor. At the age of 30, I thought it was now or never. I'd acted before at school and university and performed at the Fringe, but it was a question of whether I could make a living from it. You never know if you're good enough, so you have to try and see if you are.

The best age to be is...

Whatever age Jack Nicholson is. He always seems to be having an extraordinarily good time.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this...

Try your best because that is all you can ever do.

Claire Daly