Jason Flemyng: Im quite sexy - if you like gingers\'

Tag : Gingers

The actor, 41, on never living down his Lock, Stock & Two SmokingBarrel days, working with the ‘good looking’ Brad Pittin his new film, and being a whizz in the kitchen (even if he doessay so)
You’ve just finished filming The Curious Case Of BenjaminButton with Brad Pitt (released in January 2009). What is he reallylike?
Jason Flemyng : He’s great fun. He jokes around all the time and has a realquality about him. On set the director called me over and said,‘Jase, just watch him. Watch him move.’ Instead ofwalking, Brad literally glides. It’s incredible. I think hislooks have hindered him. Not in terms of the parts he’s got,but in terms of what people think of him. When you think of Sevenor Kalifornia, you think, ‘This guy is a phenomenalactor.’ Then you see Ocean’s Eleven or Thelma &Louise, and you think, ‘He’s a good lookingb*****d.’
Did you ever see Angelina on set?
JF : She was around. They bought a house in New Orleans while we werefilming there. She was very charming and sweet.
If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
JF : I’d love to cook. It’s something I’ve got intosince I’ve grown older. I’m mates with Jamie Oliver andhe’s been a real inspiration. I’ve cooked for Jamie afew times – most people are too frightened to cook for him.Last week, me and my wife Ellie cooked him a chicken pie and alemon drizzle cake. It went down really well. Chefs are really easyto cook for. They’re just pleased not to be the onewho’s cooking.
You own a pub in London. Do you ever work behind the bar?
JF : I do jump behind the bar when we’re really busy, but bythat point I’ve usually drunk too much to work. My friendsdecided to open a pub and asked me to be part of it. The day-to-dayrunning is something I know little about. Luckily, I’m thedemented figurehead, a kind of mascot. I get all the good stuff– like free pork scratchings – without any of the badstuff. A lot of pubs in London are now faceless, expensive yuppybars. Not like when I was growing up. The pub used to be, andshould be, the pillar of community. You’d phone or knock onthe door of your friend or neighbour if they hadn’t appearedat your local pub or bar for a few days, just to make sure theyweren’t dead in the cellar.
When was the last time you were drunk?
JF : I’ve been drunk every night ever since I was 17.
Have you ever considered artificial ways of keeping age at bay?
JF: Apart from using Nivea Soft Intensive Moisturising Creme and YSLTouche Eclat, no. All the birds love Touche Eclat. It’s a(concealer) pen that gets rid of eye bags. But I’m quitehappy otherwise. I train a lot.
What sort of training do you do?
JF: I’ve done triathlons and marathons, and Ellie drags me toBody Pump (a toning class). I’m the only bloke there, whichwas embarrassing at first because there was just me and a load offit birds, and I’m redheaded so I blush easily.
How would you rate yourself on a scale of one to 10?
JF : Well, I’m ginger, so it’s hard to rate me. When Elliefirst met me she said, ‘He’s ginger, but he’sreally lovely’. Like that was a perfectly acceptable way todescribe a ginger person. Us gingers are the unknown minority. Butif I had to rate myself between one and 10? If you’re agingerist and like ginger guys, I guess I’m a seven, withmake-up on maybe an eight. If you’re not a gingerist,I’m probably a six, six and a half.
Have you ever cheated death?
JF: A couple of times. When I was 17 me and my friend had mopeds. Weused to play a game where we would close our eyes and drive whilecounting to the highest number we could. Once I got to eight, andthat was pretty much the most stupid thing I’ve ever done inmy life. I ended up on the other side of the road. I got up to allsorts of things when I was a kid, but I’ve managed to takethe excessive alcohol and fast vehicle combination out of my lifenow.
What keeps you awake at night?
JF: Money and debt. If you grow up poor you’re always going toworry about money, no matter how successful or lucky you become.I’m not moaning about what actors get paid – I’mvery, very lucky – but the difference between what leadingactors get paid and supporting actors get is a lot.
So are you rich?
JF: I do six or seven films a year in order to sustain my lifestyle.I’m a grafter, I like working, but like for The Curious Caseof Benjamin Button, the film company only paid me for the shootingschedule, which was supposed to last six months. But it lasted 11months and you don’t get paid for extra shooting. SoI’m sitting in a New Orleans bar with Brad Pitt and CateBlanchett thinking, ‘Please don’t ask me to buy thedrinks. Please don’t ask me to buy the drinks…’