Published: 1 November 2014
Actress Patsy Kensit:
‘I wish I could erase the misapprehension that I got married lightly and quickly. Each time I married for love’
We ask a celebrity a set of devilishly probing questions – and only accept THE definitive answer. This week it’s the turn of actress Patsy Kensit
The prized possession you value above all others...Two objects made for me by my two sons. A small ceramic box in the shape of a heart with ‘I love you’ on it, made by James when he was seven – he’s now 22. And a stunning wooden dolphin that Lennon, who’s now 15, made two years ago. They’re priceless.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Turning down the part of Ross’s girlfriend in Friends in 1998. I was married to Lennon’s dad Liam [Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher] and our life was in London, so I said no.
The temptation you wish you could resist...Giant Toblerone bars. I see them in Aldi and throw them in the trolley.
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...Jennie by Paul Gallico. It’s about a little boy who turns into a cat. My mother read it to me when I was ten and we cried our hearts out. It’s so moving.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Woman for a day...I’d come out of the house looking like a bag of laundry with no worries about being photographed.
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...The lack of manners on the Tube. It can be pretty rough.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Royal Tenenbaums with Gene Hackman and Ben Stiller. It’s full of nostalgia, and dark humour. I’ve seen it at least 50 times.
The person who has influenced you most...My mum Margaret. She was told she was going to die of breast cancer when I was four, but she kept going for nearly 20 years. She never cried or got depressed, she just got on with life. She died when she was 54 and I was 23.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Jackie Onassis. She was so elusive and had such grace. There’s so much myth around her I’d love to hear the truth.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Sleep on it.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...Tapestry. I’ve been doing it for years because it calms my mind. I’m currently working on some poppies from a John Lewis kit!
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A letter Ava Gardner wrote to me after we filmed The Blue Bird in 1974 when I was six. She called me ‘the sweetest girl’. One of our pets chewed it up years ago, I was heartbroken.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d steal Elizabeth Taylor’s Krupp diamond ring, given to her by Richard Burton. It was sold at auction in 2011 for £6 million. We played catch with it when we were filming The Blue Bird in Russia.
The unending quest that drives you on...To keep changing for the better.
The poem that touches your soul...How Do I Love Thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I’m a hopeless romantic and I relate to that sense of an all-consuming love for someone.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I got married lightly and quickly [Patsy’s been married and divorced four times]. Each time I married for love. Divorce is horrid, but I still believe in marriage.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Downsizing my house and scaling back on work after leaving Holby City in 2010. I became a hands-on mum and it’s been the happiest time of my life.
The song that means most to you...The Who are the greatest rock band and I love The Seeker for its energy.
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I hate technology, so every gadget would be disabled in my house. I’d have a peaceful morning meditating and doing yoga. Later, a handyman would arrive and fix every single job in the house – in five minutes! I’d have lunch with the boys at Benihana in London. I’d have the filet mignon and prawns with mushrooms. Then we’d go to Sicily and check into Villa Angela – a hotel owned by James’s dad [Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr]. James is working there at the moment and loves it. We’d all climb up to Mount Etna. Dinner would be white truffle pasta at Bice in New York, then I’d go to The Book Of Mormon musical on Broadway which I’ve been dying to see. I’d spend the evening back at home in my flannelette pyjamas from Primark reading a book with just a rose-scented candle for company.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...When I got the all-clear from ovarian cancer in October 2013. It made me determined never to take another day of my life for granted.
The saddest time that shook your world...The day my mother died. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think of her. My only wish is that I can be half the mother that she was.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To make a film directed by Ken Loach.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Treat every day as if it’s your last – because it could be.
The order of service at your funeral...I want it to be more celebratory. Everyone would get a shot of something to warm them up as they go into the church, then my coffin would come in to Pharrell Williams’ song Happy. Later, I want them to have a big party and get drunk.
The way you want to be remembered...For my boys to be proud of me and to think, ‘Yeah, Mum was there for us.’
The Plug...Patsy Kensit hosts Seven Deadly Sins Week each day from 2-9 November at 9pm on ID channel on Sky 522 or Virgin 214.
Copyright: Rob McGibbon/Accessinterviews.com 2011 (2014). All rights reserved