Dominic West may have made his name in America, but the British actor tells us he’s happy – if not relaxed – enjoying all that London has to offer.
TV connoisseurs will know Dominic West as the hard-edged Jimmy McNulty from The Wire, but in real life the British-born actor is happy spending quiet afternoons in one of London’s parks with his wife and children.
‘I live in a nice little area in Shepherds Bush, West London, and the kids have lots of friends in the neighbourhood,’ he says.
‘London’s great sometimes. Although with lots of little kids, it’s a bit of a nightmare trying to do anything. We go to the swimming pool together or walk around Hampstead Heath or Richmond Park. Often we just stay at home. Going to work is how I relax!’
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“I don’t miss Baltimore, but I have real affection for the place. I had a great time there and I see lots of those people still. The whole experience has done me no end of good.”
Dominic may be a regular on TV screens around the world playing gritty characters, but he can also be regularly found treading the boards on stage.
‘I love the theatre and playing in front of a live audience,’ he says. ‘I love being part of the audience too – there are lots of good theatres and venues in London. I saw a brilliant play at the Bush Theatre, and Clybourne Park in the West End is amazing.’
Trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Dominic is no stranger to theatre. Now he’s getting the taste for it again, has he returned to the stage for good?
‘I like TV, film and theatre for different reasons. I couldn’t do one exclusively. But I really enjoy TV and film because for me it tends to involve contemporary subjects.’
Set on the mean streets of Baltimore, rife with drugs and corruption, The Wire had its fair share of contemporary themes. ‘I don’t miss Baltimore, but I have real affection for the place. I had a great time there and I see lots of those people still. The whole experience has done me no end of good.’
As with his accents, Dominic slips from one challenge to the next with such ease it’s hard to believe he’ll ever be in danger of being typecast.
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