Tea and a Mag Hunger mag part two

Homeland tackles some very plausible plot lines. What has it been like to be involved in a show that can often feel uncomfortably close to reality?

It has been part of the great success of the show. The writers have brilliantly picked current political stories -- the obvious example being terrorism, something that is with us now for the foreseeable future. The idea that an upstanding American hero, who happens to be a marine, might change his ideology was a bold story outline to choose. It challenges Americans with the idea that one of your own might turn against you.
Has this idea been the show's key to success?

There's a well-pronounced sense of fear in America, a fear of the "other", and Homeland has largely been a success because it feeds into that. It has also challenged the audience to explore the idea that terrorism, or acts of violence, can be orchestrated by governments, and that it's not as clear-cut anymore. There's no clear hero in this show. It has refused to make judgments, and I think it has been brilliantly nuanced and ambiguous.

What kind of reactions have you had to your portrayal of a Muslim?
I've had people come up to me and say it's one of the most sensitive portrayals that they've ever seen. In spite of the fact that Brody was prepared to blow everybody up in a suicide mission, his faith always provided a very personal source of nourishment. We always depicted his faith in an intimate, personal and very sincere way, and a lot of people I've spoken to have been thankful for that.

In the show you had to pray in a faith that is not your own, demonstrate symptoms of PTSD, and recover from a severe heroin addiction. What kind of research and preparation did you do?

Well, my research is pretty conventional. I'm not an out-and-out method actor, but I do like to stay in character a lot during filming. I don't need to go and live in Iraq for three months to embed myself -- well I can't, I've got a family! -- but I certainly spoke to a lot of Muslims, and here in London I went to the London Central Mosque, and I read the Koran and its teachings. Similarly with PTSD and heroin addiction, I watched a lot of video footage and spoke to addicts and people who work to help those suffering. A lot of my research is based on the anecdotes of real people.

Was Claire Danes the best Carrie the producers could have cast?

Can you imagine if the part had been played by any other Hollywood actress, anyone with an ounce of vanity about them as a performer? Claire has no vanity. She's committed to making sure she represents the story in the best possible way. Her performance is totally and utterly committed, terrifyingly so at times. I know a hundred other actresses who wouldn't be prepared to commit to the role in the way she has. I think it has been an amazing thing for her.

Were you ready to say goodbye to the role?

Yes. I'd known for some time that this would be Brody's last season, so I was well prepared. Still it was such an enjoyable job that I'll miss Brody. I have no idea where they'll take Homeland next, but I bet it will be brilliant. Some people have said that the end of season three felt like a series finale. It brought the first story line to a close, but I think they'll find many more equally intriguing ones.

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You come across as a highly confident individual. Where does this confidence come from?

I think it comes from my family, from my parents, from the certainty that one is loved. It's very important to give that to your children. I think it gives them a sincere confidence. A good experience of childhood sets you up for life. I went to boarding school, and if you have certain attributes you thrive in those places. So I succeeded at school, and it was a happy time for me. I was a natural schoolboy, if you like. I loved sports and theatre, doing school plays, but I didn't work very hard, and in time that came back and bit me in the arse -- I loped through my A-levels so fruitlessly! Luckily I was bright enough to just wing it through. It was a lot to do with luck.

How comfortable are you with the idea of fame?

Being a star is much better than not being one. It's good fun. It does elevate your life in extraordinary ways. For example, I was invited to have dinner at The White House, and I chatted with President Obama. I'm proud of the fact that I think of myself as an actor's actor, before being a star, but I have become one and that really is down to luck. I'm not doing anything different than anyone else; it's just a question of landing the right project. I don't think I'm better in Homeland than in other things. It just became an enormous hit.

Has your life changed much since becoming famous?

I feel very proprietorial about London. It's my town and always has been. It's slightly mad to walk through the West End during peak tourist season. I'm not going to lie, some days I don't deal with it very well because I'm in a hurry. You don't go out to have your photo taken, so if someone asks you for your photo, it really is down to your mood. You want to oblige people and you are grateful for their support, but if you stopped for everyone during the course of the day, you simply wouldn't get your day done. Sometimes I'm just busy. I'm always late!

Who is your toughest critic?

I am, but if you're going to do things where you create for other people, you invite other people's opinions and judgment, so you immediately place yourself in a vulnerable position, and of course you seek appbrobation. You like people to say, "Oh, darling, it's wonderful!" but you must know yourself what you have created. I think that's essential. You must gauge it only using the strictedst and the highest bars. You must know yourself, that's why I don't read the reviews, particularly during a theatre production. It's sort of arbitrary.

If one of your children decided they wanted to act, would the idea fill you with delight or despair?

Well, it has worked for me and it has worked for my wife, Helen [McCrory]. We were really lucky. My parents backed me and they weren't actors, so it must have been terrifying for them. So I would absolutely back my children if they wanted to be actors, if I thought hey had talent! That's the critical thing -- how do you let them down gently if you see them at 16 and they suck?

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