Nigel Havers: ‘My biggest disappointment? Not playing James Bond’

The actor on mucking out pigs as a teenager, an apology to his first wife and what makes him cry all the time Born in London, Nigel Havers, 74, was Bafta-nominated for his 1981 role in Chariots of Fire. His other films include A Passage to India and Empire of the Sun. On television he has appeared in Don’t Wait Up, The Charmer, Coronation Street, The Gentlemen and, most recently, Golden Boys. He has starred in West End plays and panto, and is touring his show, Talking B*ll*cks. He is married, has a daughter and lives in London. What is your greatest fear? Every actor has the same fear – ie, you’re never going to work again. What is your earliest memory? Being in a pram in London and there being a road accident ahead and saying to my mother, “Go quickly, I want to see what’s happened.” Which living person do you most admire, and why? The king – because he’s been through quite a bit and I think he’s come out the other side brilliantly. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I’m over-tidy. What is the trait you most deplore in others? When they don’t tell the truth. What was your most embarrassing moment? I was about six years old in a market squa