Michael Praed says he learnt to fly to cure his crippling fear of flying
The actor, who plays Emmerdale's Frank, also reveals his celebrity crush in TV Magazine's My Life interview
This week TV magazine chats to Michael Praed...
I grew up in Iran and it was idyllic. We didn’t have a television, so in the summer I spent all day in the swimming pool.
I spoke the language and my friends were wide and varied, from the Iranians to Americans, English and Dutch… My parents’ mantelpiece was stacked with invitations for cocktail parties, the ladies playing Mahjongg [a Chinese tiles-based game] in the afternoon, smoking and drinking gin and tonic because there was nothing else to do.
The acting bug bit me at boarding school. The first time I set foot on stage I must have been nine. I knew two things: that the place held no terror for me and I felt very comfortable there. It wasn’t the old chestnut of showing off, I just recognised something innate in the whole performing process that I took to and I knew I wanted to act. My father gave me some sage advice: ‘It doesn’t really matter what you do for a living, just make sure it’s something you’re going to enjoy.’ By nature, I’m not averse to chancing the consequences – it’s much better to have a go and fail than not try at all.
I had the most enormous crush on Olivia Newton-John growing up. Every time she came on the telly I’d go red because I was besotted with her. I’ve never met her but I met her sister and she was lovely. And no, I didn’t tell her about my crush!
I learnt to fly because I was terrified of flying. I thought it was ridiculous because it was crippling me and taking control of my life. I took some lessons and it became apparent that my fear wasn’t of flying, but of someone else being in control. So I started learning about aeroplanes and really getting into it. The first time you fly solo in an aeroplane… bloody hell! I was very proud of myself.
I’m not in touch with anybody from the cast of Dynasty [Michael played Prince Michael of Moldavia from 1985-86]. It’s a sad thing about this business, especially in shows where you do them for a year and forge these great bonds, then rarely get to work with those people again. It’s hard to keep in touch. Or maybe I am just the most unfriendly b***ard in the country.
Making people laugh is tremendously gratifying to me. Laughter is really healthy. You have to get through 99 crap jokes to get to a good one, but I’ve done some crackers. We had this p***k at drama school who was a bully and everyone hated him. Years later, I was driving my Porsche and I pull up at some lights. Next to me, in this old Citroën, was that guy. He told me to wind down my window and said: ‘What the f*** do you call that?’ So I said: ‘Fast’ – and took off. Then I almost hit a lamppost because I was so busy looking in the rear-view mirror and laughing, so that was God’s way of taking the p**s out of me. It was a sweet moment.
The thing I’m least proud of in my career is a season of panto I did in Southampton. The director said: ‘You’re going to be Buttons’ and I said: ‘Terrific!’ I’d never seen a panto and didn’t know what he was talking about. I was unqualified and I loathed it. I was so bad – I died a death!
When I played Robin in [1980s TV series] Robin Of Sherwood, my co-star Clive Mantle smacked me in the balls with a staff. I did a fight scene with him, which was fine, but then they called ‘action’ and he just went for me. He punctured me and the fact I’m not missing one ball is a miracle.
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