Robert Carlyle
Scottish actor
All this nonsense in the Middle East. It's hard not to think about it.
What keeps you awake at night?
Question
What happens when we die?
Death & what remains
Question
Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?
Identity & self
Question
What scares you about getting older?
Time & hindsight
Question
Who most deserves an apology from you, and why?
Failure & regret
Question
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Identity & self
Question
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Values & belief
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A long-running fixed question in The Guardian's weekly Q&A questionnaire.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Wondering why I can’t sleep.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 April 2026 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 196 →
Sadie Frost
English actress, producer, film director and fashion designer
Eight years ago, I didn’t sleep for more than two hours a night and was very skinny. I went to a sleep clinic, and learned techniques to switch my mind off.
Harriet Walter
English actress
Everything. I’ve one of those brains that doesn’t quieten down.
Fatima Bhutto
Pakistani writer
That to-do list I am supposed to get through but can’t summon the energy for in these weird, distracted times.
More from Richard Schiff
View profile →There are no more interviews.
My lack of foreign language skills.
Getting even older.
Both parents, I’ll write the book someday.
Quietly somewhat funny.
Martin Sheen, simply the kindest and most fun-loving person and serious activist I’ve ever known. If Jesus was alive today he’d point to Martin Sheen and say, “That’s what I was talking about.”
More on daily life
- What single thing would improve the quality of your life? 206 answers
- What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love? 30 answers
- In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to? 22 answers
- When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do? 22 answers
- In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? 20 answers
- What does the first sixty minutes of your day look like? 16 answers
Also answered this
Robert Carlyle, Niamh Cusack, Sinéad O'Connor, Olivia Williams, Cerys Matthews, Anna Paquin
Search the directory for somebody in particular.
Explore further
- All daily life questions
- The The Q&A questionnaire — 25 questions from the same format
- Explore the archive — by field, age, era, and subject