The Public-School Psychopath – June 15, 2008

The Public-School Psychopath

Damian Lewis on villains, typecasting and living in an earthquake zone

by Ally Carnwath 


Actor Damian Lewis rose to fame playing a US soldier in the Second World War drama Band of Brothers. He is married to actress Helen McCrory and has two children (Manon, 1, and Gulliver, 7 months).

You spend half your year in LA. How is it?

LA is like an eccentric beach town. Next to London, it feels utterly provincial but remains fascinating. My wife says she doesn’t like living in a town where you may get swallowed up by an earthquake at any moment. But it’s fantastic for our children to be able to walk on Hampstead Heath one half of the year and on Santa Monica beach the other.

You’re just about to start filming a second series of the cult American drama Life. How have you found starring in a serial in the US?

There’s been a resurgence in American TV over the past decade with witty, compelling dramas and Life can be part of that. Being in a show like this is peppered with small victories. They throw enormous parties for you because you’re going for a second season and the fact that they may can you in three months doesn’t matter.

Read the rest of the original article at the Guardian