Lockdown Interviews – Peter Egan
Peter Egan has been appearing on stage and screen for over 50 years. He is probably most well-known for his roles as Paul in the television sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles with Richard Briers and as Hugh “Shrimpie” MacClare, Marquess of Flintshire in Downton Abbey.
Despite being known for his numerous roles in TV and film he is an award winning stage actor and has acted with both the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and The National.
I started by asking what inspired him to become an actor.
“I left school at 15 with no qualifications. My prospects were pretty dismal. I did a series of jobs all of which I hated.
“When I was 16, I stumbled into acting by joining an amateur group in Ladbroke Grove, West London.
“I became fascinated by the process of acting by watching this group ...