As told to Rich Pelley 

Claes Bang: ‘I’ve been watching a great Danish show … what was it called?’

The Dracula star talks about filming on Zoom, if he could play Bond and the only Kubrick film he’s never seen
  
  

‘Could I do Bond? Do you realise how old I am?’ … Claes Bang.
‘Could I do Bond?’ … Claes Bang. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

I’m with my wife in the countryside, just north of Copenhagen. It’s not been as harsh here in Denmark. Everything is practically back to normal. Kids are in school, restaurants and bars are open. The only difference is the queueing outside the shops, which makes it look a bit like the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

We’ve watched some old Hitchcock things like Vertigo and North By Northwest. I’ve seen almost every Stanley Kubrick film, apart from Eyes Wide Shut, which I can’t find anywhere. I’ve been watching a great Danish thing… what the fuck was that called? We’ve turned out some quite good ones like The Killing, The Bridge and Borgen.

I’ve also been filming myself on Zoom for a pilot called Little Room. We’d just begun lockdown limbo when Dolly Wells [Dr/Sister Helsing in Dracula] rang. I was like, “Who the fuck came up with this after five minutes?” Dolly is directing and Brian Cox is in it. It’s about six agoraphobics in therapy, so they can’t go out of the house anyway. I play a dodgy criminal hacker who starts hacking their sessions.

Everyone should sit down on a nice summer’s evening and rewatch Dracula. There were bits that freaked me out, like the headless monsters in episode one. It’s all a little tongue in cheek, so it’s a special kind of scary. I said to Mark [Gatiss] and Steven [Moffat], “I love that it’s so funny, but do we really need five jokes on every page?’’

Could I do Bond? No. I don’t think so. Do you realise how old I am? Daniel Craig started in his late 30s. When they do the next Bond, I’ll be 60. The rumours are very flattering, but I think we’ll leave them at that. [Bang is currently 16/1 at William Hill]. Can imagine you the pressure? If I was scared to take on Dracula, Bond would freak me out.

Watch Little Room at Pinpoint Presents. All profits go to charity. Listen to Claes Bang’s’ latest single.

 

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