HE MAY BE THE FACE OF VODAFONE...
BUT, IN MONARCH OF THE GLEN, THE SCOTS ACTOR STRUGGLES TO GET A GIRL’S PHONE NUMBER
SUNDAY HERALD (SCOTLAND)
7 JANUARY 2001

What attracted you to the role of Duncan in Monarch Of The Glen?
When I read the script the first thing, regardless of the character, the story and where it was set, was the dialogue and the comedy. Obviously it was a complete bonus when Duncan was who he is, the age he is and he wears a kilt and runs around in the Highlands. So it was quite a technical thing first but with all the rest of it I thought: “You dancer! Fantastic!”

Duncan doesn’t have much luck with the ladies. Is this a trait you share in real life?
No, it’s nothing to do with me. He’s a character I play. I’m not going to talk about girls and relationships. But no, I’m fairly happy. I have girlfriends but I’m single just now. Everyone’s got a bit of Duncan in them - where they’re fine on their own in front of the mirror but then everything just goes when you try it in front of the girl.

Is there hope for Duncan getting it together with Dawn Steele’s character Lexie in the new series?
I’m not going to give any of the storylines away but by the second series we’re all very much a team and that allows us all to be chums together.

You’re avoiding the question.
Exactly. But I’m not in a position to say “Yeah, we get married”. To be honest though, I get stopped in the street a lot and that’s the question that everyone asks me.

When you’re filming in the Highlands, how do the cast and crew wile away the evenings?
We’re quite busy. Personally, I did a lot of public appearances at the weekends. There were a lot of requests to open church halls and Highland games so I did all that. I bought a car in Scotland this year - it’s an old car so I got to know the garage people very well, and some of the local landowners. I think most of Carnoustie went off on a world cruise that I’d paid for through payments to mechanics.

Are you a city boy at heart?
No, country living comes fairly naturally. I grew up in Broughty Ferry and then I lived in Edinburgh for ten years, but even at that you can live in Edinburgh and still lead a sort of countryside life. My parents live in the Highlands anyway so when I go home I enjoy it. Personally, I like living in London..

Dawn Steele said that her mobile never worked on location in the Highlands. As the face of Vodafone, did you find this problem slightly ironic?
Ironic? No, I was in the middle of nowhere, so I didn’t expect it to work. The technical answer is that they’re putting up masts left, right and centre but it did work where we were staying but not on location at the castle. Oh God, I could get myself in deep water here. It works fine, as good as any other phone is all I’ve got to say.

What do people recognise you most from - the phone ads or the television work?
It depends where I am. It’s weird in London, like down the King’s Road and Chelsea, it’s all the Monarch Of The Glen stuff like: “Ooh, it’s such a beautiful place. I’ve got cousins who have something just like it.” But then I walk down Oxford Street and it’s all Vodafone. Maybe it’s because the whole street is covered with life-size posters of me.

Monarch Of The Glen returns to BBC1 tonight, 8.10pm