John Wilson

Woman in the Fifth.

Yeah, Woman in the Fifth, the Pavel Pavlikovsky.

The kidnapping thriller, Contre Toi.

Oh, it's definitely what you're offered.

Definitely.

If I could do the roles that the French make me do, or telling the stories that the French tell, I suppose, if I could do those in English, I would be so happy.

Why are you perceived so differently?

I don't know.

I think what has happened, as far as I can see, looking back, is that British TV in the 80s

90s, 70s, you know, it has always been absolutely amazing.

And we have told in the UK, we've told domestic and psychological sort of dramas, if you like, we've told them for television.

Now in France, those stories are told on screens in cinemas.

Dramas of that quality.

Yeah.

Does the French language make you a different actor, do you think?

I think probably it does, although I'm not the right person to ask that.

Are you told you have an accent in France?

Yes, I do have an accent, but they don't mind accents.

They're very funny about accents because it's Europe and European cinema was so tightly knit.

You get all this French-Italian productions from the 50s and 60s.