Interview with Rachael Stirling
The actress is up to her neck in Nietzsche right now — but she likes to wind down with a spot of Gerald Durrell, a dash of Baaba Maal and a lot of Radio 4.
What are you currently reading in bed?
The truth is I'm reading Beyond Good and Evil — Nietzsche. I'm not showing off — the will to power is the prevalent theme in Tamburlaine, in which I'm appearing. And I thought it was about time I read some Nietzsche. Let's just hope I get through it.
Which book do you re-read most frequently?
Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals. I adore the characters and the style, and it just brings back childhood holidays. It transports one to a zone of complete unadulterated comfort. I might turn to it after a particularly bad day's rehearsing. My favourite bit is the scorpions in the matchbox.
Which book have you been meaning to get around to reading since you bought it in a fit of misguided enthusiasm?
The Lord of the Rings. I've got it waiting at home but frankly, the films put me off. I can't think of Legolas without seeing Orlando bloody Bloom.
Is your mind an art gallery or a porn cinema? If neither, what kind of civic building is it?
My mind is like Piers Gough's public lavatory in Notting Hill. It's tiled, bright green and bright blue. The reason being that it's bright and curious on the outside, and private on the inside.
What are you currently listening to?
I'm a Radio 4 girl, really. In my car, which doesn't have an aerial, I listen to compilation tapes from my friends who are DJs. Mixtures of blues and hip-hop and soul. And lots of Baaba Maal, d'you know? The Senegalese musician. He's particularly good for de-stressing you in a traffic jam.
What is the least disposable pop song?
Either Bittersweet Symphony which I loved when I was 18, or something by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, because I'm a rock chick at heart. But not Under the Bridge.
And the most disposable piece of classical music?
Greensleeves. One was forced to play it on the piano from the age of seven. It reminds me of that deep, dark, sinking feeling, knowing you haven't done your homework and you don't know what you're meant to be doing with your fingers. I don't give a shit whether Henry VIII wrote it or not — though I very much doubt he did.
Who should play you in the Hollywood biopic Stirling?
Christina Ricci, when she was more voluptuous. Or Joan Crawford or Bette Davis would make me very happy. My nemesis would be Christopher Walken, because he's the best nemesis in the business. I could watch him for hours. How would I get done in at the end? I was hung in Poirot. I love a good hanging scene; they're deeply satisfying to do. And I died by stabbing and several bloodbags in Theatre of Blood. Jim Broadbent and I got to play the King Lear-Cordelia death scene and that was very fun.
What would your ideal alternative job be?
Jenni Murray's job, presenting Woman's Hour. Or The Culture Show. But I've got a good voice for radio. I'd just love being curious and asking questions and being able to meet the people you want to meet. I'm hot for Jenni's seat.
And what's the realistic alternative?
I've got a degree in History of Art from Edinburgh so I like to think I could do anything I put my mind to. It taught me not to be afraid of what I don't know. I can research anything I need to know about. And I'm quite determined.
What was your cultural passion at 14?
My cultural passion was artistic boys who played Bob Dylan on the guitar.
Would you sit at their feet?
Occasionally. I was at an all-girls school 'til I was 18 [Wycombe Abbey] and we didn't spend any time with boys. They were an evasive passion.
What is your secret cultural passion?
Reading Vogue cover to cover every month. Gives me that sick, hot, wanting feeling.
What painting most corresponds with your vision of yourself?
Lucian Freud's painting of a girl in a blue dressing gown, curled up with her back to the viewer. I remember seeing it for the first time. That girl looked exactly how I felt. I love his use of thick oil. I find it delicious to look at. Mesmerising and delicious. Portraits have always fascinated me, in a way that's quite allied with my job: as representation of character.
What would you save if your house were on fire?
I've cobbled together over the years an album of sepia photos from my ma and pa's trunks — and I'd like to save that. It's an album of my genetic make up, really. I find it fascinating looking at these photos and trying to work out what these people were like and where bits of me come from.
What's your most fashionable possession?
My H-reg Golf, my first and only car, the love of my life. H-reg means very, very old. H-reg means a miracle.
Who would you most like to meet in heaven, and what would you ask them?
Wallis Simpson. I'd like to ask her about the Shanghai technique. It was some sexual hold she had over Edward for years and years and took with her to the grave. So Wallis, tell me about it!
