Sussex born and bred Hollywood actor Damian Lewis speaks exclusively to Danny Masters about his latest film role that surprisingly saw him working alongside one of his all time sporting heroes, Kenny Dalglish.

by Danny Masters, Absolute Brighton, November 2011

Your latest film, Will, is all about a football-mad boy. We saw you playing in the Soccer Aid games. Do you think you could have ever made a career as a footballer?

I was good enough to have a couple of trials for England schoolboys, but I was never focused enough to have made a career out of playing football. In truth, I was too lazy. I got tall very quickly too as a youngster, so seeing as I was 6 ft. and quick, I just used to hang around upfront as a bit of a gloryboy striker. These days I'm getting thicker round the waist so I have to sit in the middle of the park and just spray the ball around rather than do any actual running.

The film features Liverpool stars Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. You're a big Liverpool fan, so what was it like working with your heroes?

Unfortunately I never got to meet Steven or Jamie during the filming, but I did persuade Kenny to actually be in the film. I'd met him before at the charity Soccer Aid games, so he asked me about the film. I told him that I was in it with Bob Hoskins, so he realised then it was actually a proper film. I'm glad I had a hand in that because he's great in the film!

You went to boarding school here in Sussex, at Ashdown House, Forest Row, so how come you're a Liverpool fan?

I was 5 or 6 years old, and Liverpool were the best side at that time and always on the TV, so I immediately latched onto them. I was quickly hypnotised by the beautiful way in which they played the game, and I've supported them ever since.

Your Scouse accent in the film is very authentic! Did that come naturally?

Because I'm a Liverpool fan, my friends have always ribbed me about when exactly it was that I lost my "Scouse accent." But for the purposes of the film, it was important that I got the accent right. I wanted to do it justice and didn't want to come across as a fake, so I spent a lot of time working with a coach and getting it as perfect as I could.

Did you always want to be an actor?

The thought first occurred to me at boarding school. That was where I first discovered theatre. Each summer we'd stage a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, and I used to love singing the solos. Then when I was at Eton, we put on a production of Nicholas Nickleby. I must have been 16, and that was the moment where I thought, "I love this. This is what I want to do." I knew then that I wanted to go to drama school.

Before you made it as an actor, what was your worst job?

I used to sell car alarms on the phone! That was pretty bad. I'd have to ring up people out of the blue and try to sell them something they didn't want. I was in a permanent bad mood because of that job.

You got to work with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in Band Of Brothers. How did you land that role?

They were after someone to play the part of Major Richard Winters and had given up on finding an American actor to play him. They came to London, and I got asked to read the part with about 150 other actors. Incredibly, within 48 hours, I was on a plane to meet Tom Hanks in L.A. I met Tom on the Friday, which went okay, but I still didn't think I stood a chance of landing the role. So I went out on the town with a mate of mine until five in the morning. Three hours later the phone rings and someone tells me that Steven Spielberg would like to see me immediately. I still felt drunk so I had about four showers and poured coffee down my throat. But Steven couldn't have been more charming, and the three of us hung out all weekend like old friends talking about football and London ... and I ended up getting the part.

How did you come to twice host the comedy quiz Have I Got News For You?

It's always been my favourite TV show and I guess I'm a sucker for punishment, so I had to come back! Funnily enough, I've always enjoyed watching Boris Johnson host it. He's outlandish, amusing and a little bit different, so he's very watchable.

You seem to be very popular with the ladies. Was it always so?

Dearie me, no! I looked quite odd when I was 16. My face seemed to expand in all manner of directions. And of course, I had the red hair! So I always had to rely on making girls laugh and appearing much more confident than I actually was.

For an English gent, you've played a lot of Americans. Was that a deliberate move?

No, it was just one of those coincidences. I seem to be able to play Americans convincingly, but I've no idea why. It's all a bit of a fluke. I don't think about taking certain roles to launch my career in a specific direction. All you can ever do as an actor is attach yourself to good work. you have to go where the good writing is. That's the only way you can ever be stimulated and fulfilled.

If you weren't an actor, what would you love to be doing?

Without a doubt if I could have been a professional footballer, I would have taken that over acting. Having played in those charity Soccer Aid games, you get a real insight into a footballer's life. You spend the week training but only for a couple of hours a day because they don't want you to risk getting injured. Then it's back to the hotel for some lunch and then hanging around and enjoying some banter with the boys. Oh it's a great life!

So would you take a Liverpool title victory over an Oscar?

Oh that is such a hard question! Can I have them both in the same year? A Premier League title first, and then an Oscar. That would be a dream double.

Will, starring Damian Lewis, is in cinemas nationwide.

Caption: Starring in The Forsyte Saga in 2001.

Caption: Damian with his wife, the actress Helen McCrory.

Caption: "... the phone rings and someone tells me that Steven Spielberg would like to see me immediately. I still felt drunk so I had about four showers and poured coffee down my throat."

Callout: "Then when I was at Eton, we put on a production of Nicholas Nickleby. I must have been 16, and that was the moment where I thought, 'I love this. This is what I want to do.' I knew then that I wanted to go to drama school."