Actor Damian Lewis offers a sneak peek behind the scenes of popular period drama series The Forsyte Saga.

by Jenny Eden, Express Sunday Magazine, May 2003

Caption: "This is our director Andy Wilson (second from left) who has a thing about bizarre hats. It's hard to keep a straight face when he's giving orders in a police hat."

Caption: "If we spill anything on our white shirt fronts during filming, the wardrobe department paints it over with Tippex."

Caption: "You see some strange sights when you are filming a period drama -- like this prop man carrying a lamp-post -- but it all builds up to make a beautiful picture."

Caption: "Dressed like this I feel like a cross between Stan Laurel and Fred Astaire. The clothes make you stand differently and the collar is like a cheese-cutter, so it means you keep your chin up."

Caption: "This series I've had to age 20 years, so the make-up artist hast ot make wrinkles and paint on liver spots. The effect is quite scary."

Caption: "We all had lessons so we were good enough to dance and say our lines at the same time."

Caption: "Wearing these costumes and doing such serious storylines brings out the silly side in all of us. I'ver been singing Frank Sinatra all day!"

Caption: The second series of The Forsyte Saga starts on ITV later this month.