Charles Dance

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Society & Culture, Unknown

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 March 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

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Summary

The actor, director, and Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance tells Gyles about his childhood, adolescence and the early years of his career: which are possibly not what you'd expect. Dance was born to working class parents in the Midlands, lost his father when he was only 3, and then moved to Plymouth where he developed a stammer. He didn't train to be an actor until later, and his training was unorthodox - he was taught by two eccentric old men in the midst of rural Devon, where ballet exercises were done by holding onto the towel rail in front of the Aga. Charles also talks to Gyles about the failure of his first marriage, about his first job, and his time in the school choir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, listener. I say that, unless you're going on a walk with someone else and you're both listening to Rosebud, possibly at a slightly different pace. You started a second after your companion, so they're going to be laughing a moment before you. Anyway, I'm very glad you join me today, because it's time for another episode of Rosebud. My guest today is one of my favorite actors. It's Charles Dance. I think he's brilliant. He's
0:49.4	a film director. I remember seeing ladies in lavender, but he's, really, as an actor, who's had an extraordinary career.
0:56.5	Starting out in the early days, he was at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and of course he became famous through the jewel in the Crown on television.
1:04.0	You've all seen him much more recently in The Crown, very different story indeed, again on television, and in Game of Thrones.
1:11.8	He's been playing quintessential British heroes since the 1970s, and as I think I'm going to discover, I hope I'm
1:19.1	going to discover why he turned down the opportunity to audition to play James Bond, because I think
1:25.4	he would have been a great Bond. Anyway, he's much more than a dashing
1:29.3	Englishman with a cut-class accent, raised in Plymouth, working-class parents, he worked in a
1:35.5	builder's yard, while learning to act in the most unconventional way. He's warm, he's charming,
1:43.8	he's modest, he's a fantastic storyteller, as you're going to discover.
1:49.1	He's going to bring to life his extraordinary life story. Let's discover the first memories of
1:56.5	Charles Dance.
2:09.9	Music Charles Dance. Well, I'm very excited that you're here, Charles.
2:12.4	Thank you for being here.
2:13.7	My first question is going to be about your first memory.
2:16.8	But before that, I must just share my first memory of you.
2:22.1	You probably don't remember this, but we first met 50 years ago, exactly 50 years ago, when you came into the room, when I was the artistic director of the Oxford Theatre Festival. And there was a
2:35.0	production of St. Joan, staged at the new theatre, Oxford, directed by Sir John Clements.
2:40.0	And you came into the room and caused a sensation. Nobody, and indeed Sir John, said this to me,
2:49.0	said, I don't think I've seen a more handsome man in years.
2:52.3	Good Lord.
2:53.4	You blew the room apart.
	...

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