A horse-riding accident when I was about 15.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 May 2024 source ↗
The question
How close have you come to dying?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A recurring Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
A horse-riding accident when I was about 15.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 May 2024 source ↗
When I was about seven or eight years old, I was messing about in a brook with my brothers and a friend of mine, Paul Hewitt, and I almost drowned. Paul saved me.
I was caught by a wave while swimming at night with friends in Southampton. That shook me.
When I was doing my gold swimming badge. I had to get undressed in a swimming pool and had forgotten my gym kit, so the teacher gave me a kit two sizes too small. In the water, I got my arms up over my head to get the shirt off and they locked. I sank to the bottom of the pool and sat there until a girl jumped in and dragged me back up again.
Having a heart attack two days after my wife’s funeral.
I’ve never seen Star Wars (I know!) and on my first day of a recent job, I’m sitting next to this very friendly actor. I ask if he has much experience with motion capture. He says, “Yes.” I say “Oh great! What have you worked on?” He says, “I’m Mark Hamill.”
Talk to people. Learn from them. And put your phone away.
Endless acting jobs.
I’m terrified of time. The people I love are getting older and time seems to be going faster and faster. It’s scary. I’d like it to slow down, please.
Relief and an achy feeling in your cheeks from smiling.
“You were amazing in Game of Thrones.” I say it’s the worst thing – it’s also the best!
Dan Stevens, Omid Djalili, Martin Kemp, Sue Perkins, John Waters, Gemma Whelan
Search the directory for somebody in particular.