i grew up in Goldthorpe, halfway between Doncaster and Barnsley. We play soldiers at the Anderson shelter. Flying Scotsman and Mallard would come along the railway line. The teachers loved me at school. I was a boxing champion, but I also had a lot of imagination.
I would sit outside my house at six or seven reading the Beano, waiting for my dad to come home from the coal mines. I saw the light of his helmet shining through the mist and he caught me with his blackened face and carried me into the house.
Inside it was like an Ovomaltine ad, with a fire burning and a black kettle. My father took a shower and we turned on the radio. We hear Saturday Night Theater: “It’s 8:30 am, Curtain Up now features: Treasure Island. ‘Pieces of eight,’ said the parrot. Or we would travel to space in The lost World or War of the Worlds. So I would go out into the street and shoot my bow and arrow at the damn V-2 rockets that blew up Sheffield. That bastard. We beat him in the end.
I remember when Hitler died. There were these Italian soldiers who were very sweet. I ran to the gate and shouted, “Hitler is dead! The war is over! “And these soldiers started to applaud. They couldn’t stand Hitler.” I can go home! Thank you, thank you. “They all started singing. It was a very colorful day.
THE BBC wanted me to be Doctor Who. They said, “William Hartnell is getting old. We would like you to interpret the doctor in a different way. “I was still a young man, so I said,” I would be interested, but I want to make you oriental. His name is Who, so I would like to play him as Charlie Chan. ”It terrified them. They said, “My God, no!” and gave up on the idea.
Wherever I go, children come to me because of grandpa Rabbit [in Peppa Pig]. Grandpa Rabbit loves adventures, just like me. I am 50% explorer and 50% actor for 60 years.
People think that I’m a loud person, but I’m only loud when I want to. I played a lot of very quiet roles. I love peace and quiet. I love to write. And, of course, I love doing expeditions. I’ve climbed Everest and I’m the oldest man to reach the North Pole on foot.
I completed the space training in Moscow. I want to go out into space. We need to give the Earth a rest. We’re just kids. We haven’t started exploring yet. We will get there.
I have a cabin in some woods covered with vegetation. It is an absolute happiness. I love gardening and all that. Kenneth Branagh comes once a week and we discuss all of his films. Life is very colorful. We are going to survive this bloody virus.
Flash Gordon: the 4K edition of the 40th anniversary has already been launched