The question
What is the harshest thing anyone has said to you?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Someone said that I had a laugh like Jimmy Carr.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 September 2025 source ↗
I was thrown out of a club by bouncers when I walked into somebody and told them that I was registered blind. They said: “Don’t give a fuck – you don’t belong in here.” As a straight white man, it gives you a taste of what other people have to contend with.
“You’re never going to make it.” It was some guy I was dating. I had the last laugh.
Called me the N-word.
When I was growing up, my mother would accuse me of showing off. That’s the most shaming, humbling, horrible thing. What was I doing? Showing off!
I would try and get to being comfortable with myself quicker.
Not getting to the point.
I think we go back into the earth.
I spent about five years living in Paris thinking I would become Kristin Scott Thomas, and it didn’t happen.
I woke up this morning thinking maybe I don’t want to be an actor any more, then I had breakfast and I thought: actually, no, I really like being an actor.
My partner was doing a play in Hong Kong last year and I went to visit him, and I bought him a beautiful teacup. But I didn’t look at the price tag before I took it to the till and it was £100, the most expensive teacup imaginable.
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