Nigel Havers is a 'letter-box' actor
Nigel Havers says yes to any script that arrives in his letterbox - but only if the project sounds fun.
Nigel Havers has branded himself a “letter-box actor”.
The 73-year-old actor - who played Lewis Archer on 'Coronation Street' - admitted he yes to any script that arrives at his house, as long as it's fun.
He told Woman's Weekly magazine: "I'm what they call a letter-box actor.
"I wait for a script to come through the letterbox, and I do it!"
His enthusiasm comes from his good friend Sir Michael Caine, who advised Nigel that if he turned down a job, he may regret it in the future.
The 'Chariots of Fire' star said: "I've been friends with Michael Caine for years, and he always said to me, 'Do anything that comes your way and don't turn anything down because you'll learn from it,' and he's right.
"If something sounds fun, I'll do it.
"Are there things that I've thought afterwards I shouldn't have done? Maybe, but so what? I've had a good time!"
One of his latest - and most dramatic - roles is playing his real grandfather, High Court judge Sir Cecil Havers, in the BritBox series 'A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story'.
Speaking about what it was like to play one of his family members in the four-part show - which is based on the true crime story about the last woman to be executed in Britain - Nigel admitted: "Playing my grandfather was wonderful in a way.
"He was the judge who sentenced Ruth to death, but he had no other choice. The story is quite well-known - Ruth Ellis was battered about by her boyfriend David Blakely in a horrible way.
"Eventually, she had enough and she shot him. My grandfather was absolutely determined for her to say it was self-defence, but Ruth wouldn't do it. She told everyone she was guilty.
"When my grandfather sentenced her to be hanged, Ruth replied, 'Thank you.' It makes you want to cry.
"When we filmed that scene, it was like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. It was very strange."
