Full Frontal (Nov 1999)

Full frontal
Everyone, everywhere, every fortnight

Matthew Macfadyen
Age: 25
Occupation: actor
Where you've seen him: In the new BBC1 drama Soldier Warriors

All right Matthew, how's it hanging?
Very well thank you. Apart from the hair, I bet you expected me to waltz in with a nasty skinhead like I have in the show, didn't you?

Umm, yes... So what are you up to?
I'm treading the boards at London's National Theatre in a play called Battle Royal. I play a lawyer and it's such a lovely, gentle part - well, it is compared to Warriors.

Aha! The new BBC serious Warriors. Tell us a bit about that then.
It's a war drama set in Bosnia and I play a Scouse squaddie who's posted there during the troubles. We went over to the Czech Republic with 30 real soldiers for seven weeks of intense filming.

You and all those blokes playing soldiers - it sounds like a more! girl's dream.
It was testosterone hell, to tell the truth. When we first met the squaddies I was like, 'We're actors, you're the real thing.' But it wasn't long before they were showing us exactly how to hold a gun and we became mates. My girlfriend also managed to visit which was nice.

Never mind the girlfriend, tell us about wearing tights.
I've worn a few pairs in my time. I was in TV's Wuthering Heights and played Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing.

So, got any more tough parts coming up?
Well, I've just finished Ben Elton's movie Maybe Baby, where I got the chance to work with some brilliant people like Hugh Laurie and Ben. No romantic scenes though!

Never mind, we're sure someone in our office can sort that out for you!

* See Matthew in Warriors on BBC1 from Saturday, November 20, at 9pm.
Anthony Crank (More!, 16 novembre 1999)