RearView
’ John Fardell
Dangerous Dance...
Answer machine He’s the last surviving member of The Magnificent Seven and his Napoleon Solo reached the magnificent 71 slot in a poll of great TV characters. Now, ROBERT VAUGHN is a con man in new BBC series Hustle.
How did the role in Hustle come your way? They sent me three scripts and three episodes of Spooks. a show which this team also did and I was very impressed with both of them, so I signed on. Have you ever been conned?
Only by producers. Sometimes when producers tell y0u ab0ut yOur deal. they say that certain people are in the picture and so on and you come to do the picture and yOu realise that they're not there. You’ve been Napoleon Solo in The Man from UNCLE. Now you’re Albert Stroller in Hustle. Cool names, huh?
Yes. Albert Strollers an unusual name. I quite like it. It's not the kind of name you normally get these days for principal characters.
They’ve been talking about making a film of The Man From UNCLE for years: good idea or really, really bad idea?
It‘s a roll of the dice.
You were an outspoken critic of the Vietnam war. Would you ever consider following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and go into politics?
No. no. no. I w0uldn't.
What’s your favourite biscuit?
Peanut butter cookie.
Your public image is of a man who is permanently suave. Ever get down and dirty with the lord of scruff?
I'm often getting scruffy. I wear a lot of running suits. Or catsuits as Churchill used to call them. Loose fitting: I like that.
What’s the punchline to your favourite joke?
Well. it's too complicated a joke so the punchline doesn‘t make any sense.
That’s OK. Really. It’ll work, trust me.
Well, alright. the punchline is: I don't wonder at 899.50 a Martini.
Seen any good films lately?
Almost everything that's been nominated for an Academy Award. I'm a voting member. 27 Grams was good. if a little depressing. I like to laugh. Napoleon Solo was number 71 in Channel 4’s Top 100 TV Characters. Is that an honour or an insult?
Well, it's better than being 150.
When did you last dance?
I never dance.
Not even at weddings?
I danced at my own wedding. yeah. We took lessons beforehand so I wouldn't trip on the wedding gown.
Your 31st birthday was 22 November 1963. Did your president having his brains shot to pieces spoil the celebrations in any way? We were shooting the pilot for The Man from UNCLE that day so we shut down filming and didn‘t go back until the day after the burial.
You had to learn a lot about con jargon for Hustle: any favourite terms?
Well. I hadn‘t heard of cackle-bladder until I did the show.
I Hustle starts on BBCI, Tues 24 Feb, 9pm.
new territories 2.00pm: Michael Clark Pres; Conference
...And this new Show Features huge, amoimts of male nudity; bottom, penises, bellg buttons,- leJeal/y daring...
Dan'ngau About as daring as the Archer:.
Put it award, Michael .
128 THE LIST if) let) "2 Mar 2004
...lt also includes claimant/.5 giant dildo-S; full-frontal acts of Masturbation...
We‘ve seen it all before.
...and PM reVikfci'ng Mg ballet school VOOtS, with all the dancer: up on point throughout the piece...
‘ Wouldn't shout my granny. .