Born in Devon, Richard Eyre, 82, was educated at the University of Cambridge and became an actor. Between 1987 and 1999 he was artistic director of the National Theatre. His notable films include Iris, Notes on a Scandal and The Dresser; he is currently shooting The Housekeeper and is directing Strindberg’s Dance of Death at Richmond’s Orange Tree theatre until 7 March. He is married with a daughter and lives in London.
When were you happiest?
In the 80s.
What is your greatest fear?
Failure.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Intolerance.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I was doing a masterclass at a theatre and I had to leave the stage because I was about to shit my pants.
Describe yourself in three words
Curious, energetic, droll.
What makes you unhappy?
My wife’s illness. She has Alzheimer’s.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I imagine myself to be in my mid-40s and I see this old man who looks dangerously like my father.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Shakespeare.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Swearing.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Somebody is playing me in a film about Ian Charleson – Johnny Flynn, in my view too young and good-looking.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Matisse.
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
Edward Bond, the playwright, said I was like a turd flowing on the effluent of British culture.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Reading thrillers.
To whom would you most like to say sorry and why?
To my father, who was aggressively indifferent to what I was doing. He did say sorry to me when he was dying and I don’t think I was very gracious.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My wife, Sue Birtwistle, who was a wonderful producer and is still with us but in a very diminished form.
What does love feel like?
Warmth and confidence.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
You can’t print them.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
At university in the 60s, I thought social justice was going to improve exponentially. How wrong I was.
When did you last cry, and why?
In despair, because of my wife’s illness.
What has been your closest brush with the law?
We were living in Stockwell during the Brixton riots and a gang raped the girl who lived next door. I spent a lot of time giving evidence at the Old Bailey.
What keeps you awake at night?
Anxiety.
How would you like to be remembered?
Isn’t it enough just to be remembered?
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Endurance.
What happens when we die?
The rest is silence.