Old, Wiser, and Free to Roam

They say you first feel old when the policeman start looking younger. Believe me it's not just the policemen. There are many job titles which impose a sense of gravitas; CEO, Global director, Senior Manager, Consultant All of these titles for people who I would expect to be more experienced than me and older. Except, of course, these days they aren't.
Last night my recurring character Roger Ffolkes made a return to Holby City. In Roger tradition, he basically came in to have a chat with Dom, played by the delightful and fabulous David Ames, but in order to get any conversational time with the young doctor, Roger nearly always has to undergo emergency major surgery. Last year I had an appendectomy or something similar. Last night I had a bowel resection and my heart stopped while I was on the operating table. That wasn't the greatest shock of the evening to me. In a scene I wasn't part of, and therefore let's be honest, hadn’t really taken much notice of in the script, someone referred to Roger as "a 70 year old man". 

I know when the character was originally created he was going to be in his 70s, but they were unable to cast it and I was brought on board to play him. It's been great fun to do so, but never for a moment did I think I was playing him at 70. 

Actually, it makes me feel rather good. If I'm going to look that healthy and agile when I'm 70, I can't help thinking I'll be an asset to humanity in a minor way. Some days you do feel old. I have several very good friends who are very good in their job at being CEOs of major companies and all of them make me look like Old Father Time. 

I'm very proud of the fact that I'm now the owner of a freedom pass. I'd like to think that I've gained it because "I have given the state some service" but in all honesty, they are just doled out to everyone at sixty years of age, whether you can afford to travel or not. I'm not really sure why sixty is the marker at which we supposedly decide to spread our wings. I certainly didn’t feel I’d earned it, though I do love a free train ride. It also means I can get all the way back from the Holby studio free of charge. A good thing as we don’t get paid for travel.

 I've never had any trouble keeping in touch with my inner child. Ask my partner. On Christmas morning my inner child is around seven. That's probably also the time in the morning that he makes an appearance, anxious to start ripping off wrapping paper. I'd like to think it's the inner child makes me question things; that gets me to go out of the door to do jobs I'm not sure I'll be any good at. Over the last ten years I've been in the very lucky position of being able to work with and mentor a great number of young actors. Through my book "The Working Actor," I've met lots of people who are setting out on the same journey that I did. It's great to see and hopefully help them on their way. I'm not sure if they see me as old - I must make a point of asking them next time I'm explaining to them the importance of an accountant, or when you have to register for VAT. Perhaps they just see me as experienced…. and possibly wrinkled. Which would be alarming. I spend a small fortune on moisturiser. Perhaps it’s a good job I’ve got the freedom pass after all.

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