Stephen Mangan reveals why acting is just like playing chess
Stephen Mangan thinks he's improved by working with 'better' actors.
Stephen Mangan feels "lucky" to work with better actors to help him to keep improving.
The 58-year-old star, who keeps busy with various acting, presenting and comedy projects, is currently starring in The Truth on the West End, and he's still excited to have such a varied career.
He told Candis magazine: "I'm delighted to be busy in stuff that genuinely interests me. What more can you ask as an actor? Variety is the spice of life.
"If you'd told that law student that this is how things would turn out, he'd have been both thrilled and amazed.
"I've also come to realise that, if you want to be a better chess player, play against someone better than you.
"The same is true of acting. I've been very lucky."
He's keen to explore more on stage too, and he has even refused to rule out a musical role one day.
He added: "There's any number of plays I'd like to do but, although I can sing in tune, I think a musical would be too hard to pull off. But never say never.
"I'd like to write my own play: I currently have an idea."
Stephen appears on various panel shows, plus the likes of Celebrity Gogglebox, while also presenting events like Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year.
Then there's his children's books, and the matter of his home life with actress wife Louis Delamere, and their children Harry, 18, Frank, 15, and Jack, 10 together.
Stephen admitted while it can be a "very hard" balance, sometimes a project is too tempting to resist.
He said: "It's very hard, yes. On the whole, I only do a play once every two years, although, as it happens, I start rehearsing a new production - and no, I'm not allowed to say what at this stage - overlapping the end of the run of The Truth.
"I couldn't resist this one."
And while his work can take over sometimes, he'd rather that than "the alternative" of being struggling for jobs.
He added: "Although I'm out most evenings, I'm at home during the day. Anyway, what's the alternative?
"At any given point, 90 per cent of professional actors are out of work."
