The question
What accomplishment matters most to you?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two fully readable publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
My daughters and granddaughters.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 June 2025 source ↗
Getting to challenge the status quo by being myself, just existing openly and honestly and boldly on a public level. It hasn’t always been easy, and it came with its fair set of challenges and sacrifices, and I am proud of that.
Earning a living as an actor for 40 years.
Having a family and still loving each other.
Surviving this world.
I play Classic FM in the car – emotional music brings me to tears thinking about people I’ve loved and lost.
In school, I was 11, and we had to paint a picture of family life. My painting was held up to the class and I was told it looked like a spider with ink on its feet had walked across the page. It was done so viciously – humiliating.
In a Dagenham factory at 6am, picking soldiers’ greatcoats from wars around the world to sell at the market in Chelsea. I smelled like mothballs, and no one would come near me.
Carlos Acosta, for his incredible achievement in dance.
Like you’ve got hot-water bottles all over you.
Life is never fair.
Jess Phillips, Stephanie Beacham, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alex Jones, Fearne Cotton, Kate Nash
Search the directory for somebody in particular.