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October 2001
Glamour
magazine (UK)
"Good looks are dazzling, but it's Heart and Soul that
counts"
By Louise Gannon
Photographs by Harry Borden
Despite his gruff exterior, Enigma star
Dougray Scott is just a big softie
There aren't many Hollywood actors who'd arrange to meet you on a
street corner in London's Soho (not in broad daylight anyway), but
Dougray Scott isn't your average Tinseltown star.
He's the man Drew Barrymore described as "the most gorgeous,
talented guy in the world" - famous for his roles opposite her in
Ever After and Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II.
Dougray, 35, has also won rave reviews for his new film, Enigma,
the code-cracking drama in which he stars opposite Kate Winslet.
And he's certainly gorgeous - tall, dark and good-looking in a
moody, Celtic kind of way.
| He turns up in crumpled shorts, navy t-shirt
and a brig grin, apologising for being late and
enthusiastically showing off his new sale purchases.
He's on his own: no bodyguards, publicists or big-star
attitudes. "It's all about the way you carry
yourself," he says in his deep Fife accent.
"If you don't want to be noticed, you won't be.
The people who make a fuss about being bothered are the ones
who like to walk around looking or acting like
superstars."
With all the excitement about Enigma, it's doubtful that
the streetwise Scot will be able to walk around unnoticed
for long.
In the movie, you become
obsessed with Saffron Burrows' character. Have you
ever been obsessed with a woman in real life?
Absolutely. I think every man has at some point in his
life. When I
|
"I was lucky to be at a party
when Mick Jagger started singing. What a moment!
It's great when your idols turn out to be brilliant
blokes."
|
| was 17 I was obsessed with my
first proper girlfriend, but it wasn't an unhealthy
obsession like Tom Jericho's (his character in Enigma).
It was just the uncontrollable feelings of first love.
I don't think you can compare teenage obsession with the
obsession of an adult - they're quite different. |
In the end, you fall in love
with sensible Hester, played by Kate Winslet. What do you like
in a woman in real life?
Everyone's dazzled by glamour and good looks, but if you want
longevity, it's the heart and soul that counts. You need a heart
that beats to the same rhythm as your own and has nothing to do with
cosmetics or superficial beauty.
How important is your family
life? (Dougray lives with casting director Sarah Trevis and
their three-year-old twins, Gabriel and Eden).
Very. In fact, so much so that I don't want to pollute it by
talking about it. You have to keep the most precious things
pure. I love being with my kids. I love being a father -
that goes without saying - but I don't love to bring that side of my
life into the public arena. I'd turn down work if it kept me
away from my family for too long.
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"Tom Cruise is a great guy.
He's also a complete madman."
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So no moves out to
Hollywood?
Absolutely not. I love my life here.
I love this country. I feel I belong here and so does
my family. I won't go to a party just for the sake of it,
and I hate what I see of some Hollywood lives - I certainly
don't want to live in a goldfish bowl. I became an
actor because I love acting, not because I want to be
famous. And if I moved to America, I'd miss the
football.
Ah, yes. The football...
I can tell you anything and everything about my team,
Hibernian, and I go as often as I can to see them play.
I spent five months working on Enigma, learning about
cracking codes - I drove mathematicians up the walls with my
questions. And when I worked on Mission: Impossible
II, I spent a year changing my body shape and working
out with Tom Cruise to get the right look for my character.
i
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You
became good mates with Tom Cruise while filming. Are
you still in touch, and has it been hard seeing him go
through his divorce?
Yes, yes and yes. Tom is a great guy and he's been
very supportive of me. I learned a lot from him about
how he lives his life. And we share a love of cars.
In Australia, Tom chucked me the keys to his Porsche and
said, "Off you go!" He's kind and generous
and totally driven. He's also a complete madman.
I watched him hang unaided from a sheer cliff face and
thought, "How do I compete with that?" All
the bad publicity makes me sad. I just wish people
knew the nice guy I know. |
Do you remember your first
meeting?
Yeah, the first time we met we were at his house before M:I-2
and we played a game of pool. On the first game I wiped the
floor with him - as the balls went in I thought 'God, I'm going to
love this job because of my competitiveness.' But tom smiled and
that was the point I got the job. You can't be fazed by meeting
superstars or treat them like gods. They're just like everyone
else.
Drew Barrymore says you're
her perfect man...
Drew is absolutely gorgeous and very, very, cheeky. She's one of
the sweetest girls I know. She flew over to see me in a play in
London with her friend Lucy Liu. They came backstage and there
were all these naked men having showers saying, "Hello,
girls!" Drew loved it. Most of the people I've worked
with have been great: I make it my business to get on with all of
them. I've never had an argument with a co-star.
How did you get on
with Kate Winslet?
She's a lovely woman. She's got her head totally
screwed on. She was pregnant throughout the filming,
and we'd read all the same pregnancy books. I knew she
wouldn't need any advice when it came to parenthood; she's a
natural mother.
Enigma is produced by
Mick Jagger. What was it like working with him?
He was very hands-on and on the set almost every day.
He's 100% passionate about what he does. I found him
totally inspirational and was lucky to be at a party when he
started singing. What a moment! It's great when
your idols turn out to be brilliant blokes.
a
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Great Scot: Heart-throb status
assured for many years to come
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You've
come a long way from the council estate in Fife where you
grew up. Did you expect to become this successful?
I'm really proud of where I came from. If things had
worked out differently I probably would've ended up on the
docks, like loads of my schoolfriends, but I was determined
that wasn't going to happen. I wanted to be a
footballer. I always regret I never made it in that
field. As an actor, I'm really proud, happy and amazed
at how well I've done. But I'm not satisfied.
There's a lot more I want to do.
a |
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i
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Such
as...?
My next role, playing Thomas Fairfax in a Natural Nylon
production of Cromwell and Fairfax, and playing
Dylan Thomas in a film about the poet.
Do you
enjoy being a heart-throb?
Absolutely. Long may it continue. I think of
myself as an actor, but if others want to think of me
as a heart-throb, they're welcome.
Enigma is in cinemas from September 28 |
© 2001 Glamour
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