You’ve played some of cinema’s most impeccably dressed men! Have those characters influenced the way you dress in your own life?
I have always been, I suppose, a clothes horse. When I played Remington Steele, I delved into the work of Cary Grant, another emblem of cinema that I’ve admired. Bob Butler, who directed it, said, “We’re making an old movie,” so I styled myself and had the joy of wearing beautiful suits every week. That continues through my life.
As I’ve gotten older, I used to try to rebel against the look, character, and style of actor I had created for myself. Now I embrace it more because it excites me. I love the elegance of tailored clothes and dressing up, and fitting into the season, the gale of emotion, the world around you.
You’ve got some great hunting coats in MobLand too.
Rebecca Hale, the costume designer, has brought so many great ingredients to the world of Conrad. He’s an Irishman from a hard part of Irish life, the Troubles, a mangled life of abuse and violence. He wants to fit into the world of the Cotswolds and be the gentleman. There’s this magnificent coat in MobLand, where Conrad has a shootout, and they made a magnificent overcoat, which I managed to keep from last season. And, of course, I step back and just revel at what Dame Helen Mirren does. She is such an empress of fashion herself.
When Vanity Fair last caught up with you, around your first solo exhibition, you’d already been painting and curating work for years. How has your relationship with art evolved since then?
I had, yes. I had the exhibition three years ago, and it was a great success in the sense that I had the courage to step out and show the work. I have a body of work now that has progressed, and hopefully I will have another showing here, maybe in London.
