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Life on Mars has probably seen your level of fame really go through the roof. What's that experience been like?
Do you know what, I haven't really noticed any difference ever since The Lakes and Human Traffic. The Lakes was ten years ago so I've sort of had it for ten years on and off and you get levels of it – it goes up and down. If you are on telly at the time you get loads of fan mail and you get loads of recognition, if you are not you get it every so often. I still get people stopping me – it doesn't really change for me. I don't like the fame thing at all. I'm just really used to it. It's a weird thing, it's a strange thing.
Life on Mars is one of the more glossy and populist things you've done and The Yellow House is anything but – would you say that was part of the reason you took it?
No I would have taken that any time – at any point in my career. To play Vincent Van Gogh – no way am I going to turn that down.
Do you know what, I haven't really noticed any difference ever since The Lakes and Human Traffic. The Lakes was ten years ago so I've sort of had it for ten years on and off and you get levels of it – it goes up and down. If you are on telly at the time you get loads of fan mail and you get loads of recognition, if you are not you get it every so often. I still get people stopping me – it doesn't really change for me. I don't like the fame thing at all. I'm just really used to it. It's a weird thing, it's a strange thing.
Life on Mars is one of the more glossy and populist things you've done and The Yellow House is anything but – would you say that was part of the reason you took it?
No I would have taken that any time – at any point in my career. To play Vincent Van Gogh – no way am I going to turn that down.
I read that you rather improbably spent the best part of an entire day on a stag do queuing to get in to the Van Gogh museum.
Well that was the day after the night out and there was a horrendous queue. I never made it – I gave up because my hangover was too bad! But yeah I was desperate to go. I love Van Gogh – I've always loved Van Gogh. It's one of those parts that I'd compare to when I played Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment – it's a gift for me, and like New Order in 24 Hour Party People. I'm a big fan of all those things. I loveCrime and Punishment the book, I love New Order and I love Van Goghand so I'm very lucky in that way and I kind of think 'wow' if I get this chance then I'm going to do it.
So essentially the only thing next for you is to get cast as playing Eric Cantona or something and then you've done it all?
Ryan Giggs is probably more likely!
Well that was the day after the night out and there was a horrendous queue. I never made it – I gave up because my hangover was too bad! But yeah I was desperate to go. I love Van Gogh – I've always loved Van Gogh. It's one of those parts that I'd compare to when I played Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment – it's a gift for me, and like New Order in 24 Hour Party People. I'm a big fan of all those things. I love
So essentially the only thing next for you is to get cast as playing Eric Cantona or something and then you've done it all?
Ryan Giggs is probably more likely!
