Born in County Durham, Mark Gatiss, 49, formed the comedy quartet The League Of Gentlemen in 1995. He wrote Doctor Who novels and scripts, before going on to appear in it, and co-created Sherlock, in which he plays Mycroft Holmes. He also stars in Wolf Hall, Game Of Thrones and the new Dad’s Army film. He lives in London with his husband, actor Ian Hallard.
What is your earliest memory?
Being in my pushchair, and my mum plucking a branch of lilac from a tree and putting it in my lap. I was enchanted by it and then it exploded with earwigs. My life in a nutshell.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Alan Bennett, because he has been such a huge influence on me.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
I mistook a member of a famous band for another member of the band. I saw in his eyes that he felt betrayed.
Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
A ridiculously expensive shirt from Gucci for £500. It’s ivory and has a flattened lace ruffle; it’s exquisite.
What is your most treasured possession?
My prosthetic 76-year-old face from when I was in Doctor Who playing a scientist who rejuvenates himself.
What is your screensaver?
Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in Sherlock.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I used to have a complex about my big nose and wish I had a little more hair, but you’ve just got to get on with it. It’s nice to see the map of people’s lives on their faces.
What makes you unhappy?
The destruction of ancient cities by Isis makes me physically sick.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Trilobites, an extinct form of marine life that look like woodlice. They are cute and I collect fossils of them.
Which book changed your life?
Great Expectations. When I was four, I was given it by Santa in Fenwick in Newcastle and I’ve still got it. I remember the thrill of discovering that Magwitch was Pip’s benefactor – the first great twist I experienced.
What is top of your bucket list?
To play Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol; it’s one of my dream parts.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
America’s Next Top Model. I don’t know what I shall do without Tyra Banks when it ends.
What was the best kiss of your life?
Obviously my first kiss with my husband – or the one I had with Ben Whishaw in London Spy.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Max Beerbohm, Einstein and Tyra.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Answering Rolf Harris’s fan mail.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I was a very lazy child, but I think I’ve made up for it by being a workaholic. I might push some of the work back to my childhood.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
As a time-travel-obsessed child, I always wanted to go into the past, but now I would like to go into the future, to see if we make it.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Sherlock being such a worldwide phenomenon.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
A Day In The Life by the Beatles.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Don’t sweat the small things.
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