Ever since he burst onto our screens as loveable Adam Williams in Cold Feet in 1997, James Nesbitt has become a permanent fixture.
Not only did he go on to star in all three Hobbit films, he's been the leading man in plenty of our favourite TV shows, including The Missing and The Secret.
Now, he’s back where it all began, in the new series of Cold Feet, which sees Adam and Karen (Hermione Norris) finally get together.
But James, who turned 55 this month, confesses he feels ‘too old’ to be getting intimate on screen, and also reveals why his daughters, Peggy, 23, and Mary, 19, don’t think their dad’s as cool as he’d like to think…
Hi, James! So, Cold Feet is back, and Karen and Adam are still together...
Yes, and I think Hermione and I were as surprised as anyone that they’re together. But it became lovely to play because you suddenly go, ‘Do you know what? They’re not that ill-suited!’ I think we found a level of honesty in their relationship that a lot of relationships might struggle to achieve sometimes.
What’s it like actually having to kiss each other when you’re old friends?
She loves it! No, you don’t really think about it. You just get on with it. I know it must seem odd but it’s actually been a lot easier for us because we do know each other.
Are you not always a fan of kissing scenes, then?
No! For The Secret, I had to do stuff with someone I’d just met and I get so shy. You do sort of think about it leading up to it. It’s just a bit exposing and you think, ‘Jeez, am I not too old?’
What do your children make of you on TV?
In my fantasy, I would always have thought they must be thinking, ‘My God, he’s such a cool dad!’ But they actually don’t give a b******s. I would be the last person to know when my daughters are proud of me and that’s what I like. I think they probably watch things and from time to time they’ll say they’ve enjoyed bits of Cold Feet and other stuff I’ve done.
How do you feel about the impact Cold Feet has had on your career?
I’ve been very lucky in my career and I still care about work and think, ‘Well, will it dry up, what’s happening next?’ but I’m also conscious of trying to enjoy life and enjoy work because you know, it’s racing by. Especially if you’re abroad filming for a while, all of a sudden there’s half a year over. So what I’m trying to do as a result is to really enjoy my work, and so, I really enjoyed filming Cold Feet.
How do you find being away from your family, especially when you’re abroad?
There have been times in the past when I’ve been away for what I would consider too long. There was a time when I hadn’t seen them for probably two months, filming in Australia, and that’s a long time. I hate even thinking about that, it was awful. It’s the other side of the bloody world.
And finally, can you see Karen and Adam still together when they’re in their 80s?
You would hope so. Wouldn’t it be nice if people find each other and save each other and find joy? We’ll come back and do series 11 in our 70s – it’s getting closer than I’d like to think!
Cold Feet continues on Monday, ITV
