The 5-Minute Interview: Ed Stoppard, actor

'I like to retreat to my cave in a very male fashion'

Ed Stoppard, 32, is in 'The Glass Menagerie' at the Apollo Theatre, London. He is reading Tchaikovsky's letters on BBC Radio 3, part of the 'Tchaikovsky Experience' running from 10-16 February.

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

Fixing a baby monitor.

A phrase I use far too often is...

"Yeah, no problem."

I wish people would take more notice of...

Antisocial behaviour in all its forms. I wish people would be a bit more aware of how their actions affect everyone around them.

The most surprising thing that ever happened to me was...

Having twins. A joyful surprise, but by heck a surprise nonetheless.

A common misperception of me is...

That I'm contented 95 per cent of the time.

I'm not a politician but...

I'd make this place [Britain] more efficient.

I'm good at...

Parenting. If I manage to get seven hours' sleep I'm a pretty good parent.

But I'm very bad at...

Communicating and following things through.

The ideal night out is...

Going to the theatre with my wife.

In moments of weakness I...

Eat Green & Black's chocolate ice cream. I retreat to my cave in a very male fashion.

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

Devoted my life to changing people's perceptions about what it means to live on this planet.

The best age to be is...

Your early twenties.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Elisa Bray