(RS) There's one very amusing thing that Shakespeare does that I got a great kick out of. Before he writes he does this thing where he spins, rubs his quill between his hands and spits. You've made him superstitious.

(JF) Exactly. Who isn't in the theater? I do all the time.

(RS) What do you do with your superstitions?

(JF) Well, I've kind of…I've got a new theory on it. I used to, you know, if I was tying my shoelaces, I would have to tie them in a certain order, in a certain way. And now I do it like I accept that there's chaos, so I go "well it can be any way, I can do it in any which way," I shouldn't have a protocol to dispel superstition, so yeah, I've kind of dispelled it through accepting…through chaos…That doesn't make sense to you but it does to me…

(RS) It sounds anti-superstitious, actually. But the idea of making Shakespeare superstitious, was that yours?

(JF) That was Tom's. It was in the play, but I think we kind of, might have added or played around with it. We had discussions about it. There's a danger also while you want to humanize him, you want to make him accessible and warm and appealing, that he also… you still want to believe that he is a serious, dynamic, intelligent playwright, who possibly did write these plays, who possibly was inspired to write Romeo and Juliet. So there's a fine line between quirkiness and respect for the man.

(RS) But you can be quirky and brilliant at the same time.

(JF) I think you can. Absolutely, I think most geniuses are. They are not like the rest of us. I think that's fair to say that maybe with this particular take on Shakespeare, I think he is mercurial in his mind. (snaps) He can zip any which way he wants.

(RS) The thing that that really struck me both in the role that you play in Elizabeth and this, is that they both come across as charming roles with very deep hearts. And that got me thinking because John Madden had written or said something about you have, as an actor and an individual an innate privateness and I'm thinking, well these characters wear their hearts on their sleeve, and I was trying to figure out, does that mean you wear your heart on your sleeve?

(JF) No, I mean I like to think that I know more about the people that I try to inhabit than I do myself and I keep myself… kind of detach myself away from the people I'm…or like to. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve…well I do occasionally, but not like Shakespeare or Dudley, no, I'm different in that respect.

(RS) But knowing yourself less than the people you inhabit could actually be a difficulty because then how do you inhabit them if you don't know what you are starting with.

(JF) Well, I think subconsciously you do, subconsciously you are aware that you are drawing from a reservoir-one's own kind of reservoir of knowledge, but it's subconscious, so you try to liberate the character, you try to let the character play you, rather than you play it.

(RS) OK. You look extremely comfortable in those period clothes. Did you get to keep any of them? Like the wonderful leather doublet?

(JF: laughs) The fancy dress? I could go in and audition for other parts….Yeah, I do, I don't… I mean I've been brought up in theater and plays which cross centuries and divides, and costumes is a part and parcel of that and I think as an actor you have to feel at ease, and often you don't. Part of being an actor is taking on the designer's idea and trying to make that work for you, breaking it down and making it feel as though it is lilting. It's always felt very natural. I've never had a problem with doublet hose or tights, and it doesn't say anything about my private life. (laughs)

(RS) I wasn't insinuating it did. Actually, there was a blue leather doublet, I guess which was almost the same color as your shirt, which just looked really cool.

(JF) It was kind of a sassy number, yeah.

(RS) That would be kind of fun. You know, you could walk around with that.

(JF) Yeah you could. Actually, I have to say that Sandy Powell was an extraordinary designer. She has managed to bring a modernity, a kind of modern twist to a lot of these Elizabethan costumes.

(RS) And then last question is, do you have a dream role? Something that you're dying to play?

(JF) Not in particular, but I do, obviously want to be challenged and it takes a while before you are trusted in order to do that. And in theater it's great you can age up, age down, change sex, you're given much more freedom and license. In film I think it takes a while before you gain trust in order to do that.

(RS) But if somebody gave you carte blanche and said, "What's the next thing you want to do, we'll give it to you." Anything pop to mind?

(JF) No, I can't think of anything that comes to mind. When I see it, I just respond to the material, and writing and the written word. So when I see it…anything which is diametrically opposed to myself, I guess.

(RF) Really?

(JF) Yeah.

(RF) Why?

(JF) It's a source of energy and anyone in the creative business needs to find energy, and I can only do that from sort of leaping, quantum leaps from different parts, different centuries, different characters. Having said that I think the most difficult thing for an actor is playing a part close to himself, and maybe the easiest is to find an extreme, so maybe I've got a long way to go.

(RS) Whatever works. Thank you very much.

(JF) OK, nice to meet you.