Damian Lewis is one reluctant star. Modest to the end, he talks to Jane Howdle about J-Lo, golf and the BBC's latest updating of Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing.

by Jane Howdle, TV Times, November 5, 2005

He's unusual is Damian Lewis. Popular in Hollywood but still keen to appear on British TV. Eton-educated but far from the posh sort you'd expect. Chatty and un-starry but liable to clam up when asked about his private life.

It wouldn't be surprising if plugging this week's modern BBC1 version of Much Ado About Nothing, the first of four new Shakespeare adaptations, was a bit of a bore for Damian -- after all, he's starred alongside Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz. But he's keen to insist that quite the opposite is true.

"I don't think anyone should ever think they're too good for telly," he shrugs. "The idea that bigger is better is not necessarily true. I'm happy to mix it up. I'm a very lucky boy."

He certainly is. After boarding school and drama school, Damian got his big break in 2001 with Steven Spielberg's wartime TV drama Band Of Brothers. Since then, Damian, 34, has worked on A-list films all over the world, though he's determined not to let fame turn him into a diva.

"I don't believe myself to be really famous, and that's not a false modesty," he says. "My view is that if you ignore your publicity you won't notice it. It just interferes with what one really wants to do, which is to act. I love acting."

And sport, too. Damian (who is dating fellow actor Helen McCrory, 36, but says, "I'm not talking about my love life today.") took part in Sky One's All-Star Cup golf tournament in August.

"I love playing sport. To me, spending time with Colin Montgomerie or Mark O'Meara is more interesting than spending it with actors."

Indeed, the likes of Jennifer Lopez, his co-star in upcoming film An Unfinished Life, don't have the same effect on Damian, though he enjoyed the surprisingly tantrum-free experience of working with her.

"She was professionalism personified. She's really committed and very serious when she's on set -- but then she's got her empire to run! And no, her trailer wasn't all white -- but Sarah Parish's is!"

Ah, Sarah Parish. Damian and the Cutting It star go way back to 2000, when they co-starred in the BBC1 drama Hearts And Bones. Now they're together again in Much Ado ... playing daytime TV presenters and ex-lovers Benedick and Beatrice, alongside weathergirl Hero ("fantastic" Billie Piper) and other familiar faces.

"Sarah's obviously become a huge prima-donna since then and makes a lot of demands on set," quips Damian, clearly sending her up. "The inside of her trailer has to be painted all white, all the furniture has to be white -- it's really strange! I don't know why she got like that -- she doesn't need to. She's good enough. We all love her. It was a lot of fun.

"I've been lucky to have had so many fantastic jobs," he adds. "It wasn't glamorous being in The Forsyte Saga, but in terms of the role, I loved playing Soames Forsyte. I was very proud of it. And I'm proud of Much Ado About Nothing, too. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Caption: Damian with squeeze Helen McCrory (above) and co-star Sarah Parish.

The Bard Made Sexy

TV Times previews the three other updated versions of Shakespeare coming your way ...

TV Times, November 5, 2005

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Starring Johnny Vegas (right), Imelda Staunton, Bill Paterson and Lennie James.

The Story: A romantic comedy about four warring couples, a donkey's head and woodland fairies.

Then: A palace and a magical forest in 16th-century Athens.

Now: A weekend in a UK holiday park.

Macbeth: Starring James McAvoy (right) and Keeley Hawes.

The Story: Joe Macbeth wants it all -- power, acclaim, success -- and his ambitious wife Ella is behind him all the way in a tale of greed and blood ...

Then: Chilling, ghost-filled Scottish castles in the 17th century.

Now: The heated -- and knife-filled -- atmosphere of a top restaurant kitchen in London.

The Taming Of The Shrew: Starring Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell (both right), Stephen Tompkinson and Twiggy.

The Story: Aggressive and shrewis Kate is an opposition MP told to find a husband to further her political career -- and is soon bowled over by the eccentric Petruchio.

Then: Padua in 16th-century Italy.

Now: London's current Westminster world.

Pick Of The Day:
Much Ado About Nothing

Comedy, BBC1, 8:30 pm

by Vicki Power, TV Times, November 5, 2005

For those who have never been entertained by Shakespeare, try this. As with last year's excellent Canterbury Tales, Will's plays are retold as modern stories. In tonight's production, Beatrice and Benedick (Sarah Parish and Damian Lewis) are newsreaders whose insults mask true love, and Billie Piper shines as a sweet weathergirl, whose wedding to sports reporter Claude (Tom Ellis) turns sour. With a laugh-out-loud script from Rescue Me creator David Nicholls, 'tis a most excellent collaboration between the Beeb and the Bard. * * * *