The Split star Stephen Mangan on being considered a sex symbol: “I find that hard to believe”

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When he promptly arrives at a private London club without any companions – such a pleasant surprise, so unexpected – his disheveled linen and wet curls in the warmth, we engage in a friendly 90-minute conversation that touches on topics like bias, loss, social status, faith, and even some hearty laughter (he has a great sense of humor).

To an unassuming Mangan observer, the 57-year-old individual, who is known as an actor, presenter, game show host, or children’s author, might appear somewhat upper-class due to his refined speech and educational background. He attended Haileybury from the age of 13, then proceeded to Cambridge University where he earned a law degree. However, after delving a bit further into his past, it becomes clear that this is only one facet of his story. His initial passion was for drama, and he later graduated from Rada before touring the country with the Royal Shakespeare Company performing classic plays. Subsequently, he established a successful career in television and authorship. However, beneath this polished exterior lies a much more complex and intriguing narrative.

He’s the sole child, with two younger sisters named Anita and Lisa, who hail from County Mayo and are part of extensive Catholic families; his father being one of nine, his mother one of seven, making him have 52 first cousins. They were born into humble circumstances, as he himself has noted, “It wasn’t like Angela’s Ashes, but not far off,” indicating a life that was economically challenging. Both left school at 14 and moved to north London during an era of intense racial and ethnic prejudice, often summarized as “No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs.” Mary worked as a barmaid, while James was a builder, and they met in a pub in Camden where she was employed.

As a proud advocate, I can share that it was I, a young scholar with aspirations, who yearned to attend Haileybury. My parents, taken aback and hesitant, found my decision puzzling. For the initial two years, I encountered bullying at this esteemed institution. However, when I managed to secure a place at Cambridge, I became the trailblazer in my family, marking the first step towards higher education for us all.

I’d like to discuss a common theme found in some renowned novels such as “The Great Gatsby,” Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripley” series, and Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History.” All these stories revolve around outsiders yearning for acceptance within an exclusive group. However, the motivation behind Mangan’s desire to attend boarding school is not related to this theme of seeking power or social status. Instead, it was not driven by a desire to be among the elite or influential.

Moving forward to the second season of The Fortune Hotel, our focus today. In this series, ten sets of individuals check into a £500-per-night Caribbean hotel, competing against each other through daily tasks, vying for the grand prize of £250,000. Each evening, one duo receives the unwanted Check Out ticket, which they attempt to secretly exchange in a covert suitcase swap during cocktails at the Lady Luck Bar. The participants range from couples, friends, and relatives, representing diverse personalities and backgrounds.

According to Mangan, the appeal of these shows lies in the fact that everyone has a public face and a way of shielding themselves, especially when playing such games. The more appealing your personality is, the more others will like you, while some individuals seem to effortlessly radiate likability or trustworthiness, and others naturally make us laugh.

If I had £250,000, a practical use for it would be applying it towards my mortgage payments.

For over three decades, he has resided in the identical, snug terraced house situated in Primrose Hill – a location that appealed to him due to its alluring London charm, as well as its proximity to meetings and theatre engagements in Soho and the West End. Remarkably, Joan Bakewell, his long-term co-host on Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist and Artist of the Year programs, happens to be a nearby resident too.

Anita, his sister, resides approximately 30 minutes away in Muswell Hill and is an accomplished illustrator who has contributed to all seven of his children’s books; they are now working on the eighth one. The initial trio of heroes were named after Mangan and Delamere’s three sons, Jack (nine years old), Frank (14) and Harry (17).

First catching public attention in 2001 as the maturing character Adrian Mole, Mangan was considered by author Sue Townsend to be appropriately unattractive (even though it’s fair to say her vision might have been deteriorating). Later, he played the detestable, arrogant Swiss anesthetist Guy Secretan on the popular TV sitcom Green Wing, a character known for his awkward rendition of John Travolta’s ‘Stayin’ Alive’. (A performance that is still vivid in many people’s memories.)

The actor reconnected with Tamsin Greig, his Green Wing co-star, in a series where they portrayed Sean and Beverly Lincoln, a comedy-writing couple married in real life, who were sent to Los Angeles to produce an American adaptation of their hit British show. The show, featuring Matt LeBlanc, ran for five seasons from 2011 to 2017. Although the first season was filmed in England, the Hollywood experience left Mangan unimpressed by the local entertainment industry.

Following this, he was featured alongside Nicola Walker in Abi Morgan’s divorce-lawyer drama series titled The Split. This show concluded its three seasons in 2022, and surprisingly, it had a revival last December in Barcelona. Notably, the on-and-off screen couple have recently wrapped up their run for the West End presentation of Unicorn, a play written by Mike Bartlett that delves into the complexities of a throuple’s hardships.

When he parted ways with Rada, he expressed that venturing into musical theater was almost a bold declaration. If one were to star in a West End production, it was as if they’d moved to an entirely distinct realm of theater. He jokingly implied, adopting a thespian tone, “Feel free to give Mamma Mia! a try, but don’t expect a warm welcome back.” He further noted, with a hint of snobbery, “If you aspire to be a serious actor, you certainly wouldn’t do a commercial.

In his situation, there was no apparent hesitation on his part to supplement his repertoire theatre career with acting in commercials. Now, he performs shows primarily because it’s enjoyable, doesn’t demand excessive time commitment, and “it assists in meeting mortgage payments and provides more flexibility in your acting roles – for instance, if you wish to perform at the Donmar Warehouse [as he did in Private Lives a few years ago] and receive minimal compensation for three months during a play.

He has always dreamt about getting a role as an Irish character, but that opportunity never came his way. Interestingly, his wife took elocution lessons to soften her Scouse accent, even learning alongside Michael Sheen, and she comes from a big Catholic family. However, Mangan himself lacks an authentic Irish accent. I wonder if I could rephrase this passage for you? “Not at the moment!” is his response. Why not now? “I’m rather reserved.

He mentioned that his parents had soft, easy-to-understand accents. Speaking of his beloved mother, Mary, who tragically passed away from colon cancer at just 45, she would have turned 80 three weeks before our conversation, and the family celebrated with a large birthday lunch in her memory. He found that the strength of their accents varied greatly among his surviving siblings and brothers.

As a passionate cinephile, I must confess that one film left me spiritually disillusioned. The heart-wrenching portrayal of a character’s decline was unbearable to watch, and it challenged my faith in the idea of a higher purpose, an afterlife, and a benevolent deity orchestrating all events. I find it difficult to accept these beliefs, especially when confronted with such raw suffering, as I cannot reconcile it with the notion that this is part of some grand scheme.

James Mangan’s father, named Jim, passed away from cancer (a brain tumor) at the age of 62 in 2005. During this time, filming for Green Wing was temporarily halted so that Mangan could return home to provide care for his ailing father. He reflects on these events, stating, “These incidents make you realize that it could happen to anyone, including yourself.” While we all understand this concept intellectually, experiencing it emotionally is a whole different story.

It’s heartwarming to listen to him speak about his mother, with her distinctive red Celtic hair and freckles (he bears more resemblance to his father) – he reminisces about her taking him to the theatre at a young age and her being an excellent reader, her deep love for music and going to the cinema. He notes that she passed on these interests to him, but in her case, they were a compensation for what she missed out on as a child due to lack of access to such experiences. He expresses his belief that she was acutely aware of her own limited education and would have relished a good one. She got married and had children at a young age, and the idea of returning to college was never an option for her – it simply wasn’t feasible.

He shares with me a touching story about an Irish nurse who opened a window after his mother passed away in hospice, believing it allowed the soul to depart more easily. He reflects, “It’s quite poetic, and we often hold onto such stories for comfort. I don’t claim to know if it’s true, but that’s just my belief, or lack thereof. What truly matters is love.” This sentiment seems reminiscent of the poignant closing lines in Philip Larkin’s poem. He goes on to say, “The love that my parents gave me endures, and I hope I’m able to pass it along.

As his visibility on our TV screens grows, so does the number of requests for selfies when he’s out in public. Despite his frequent jokes about his appearance, it seems he doesn’t realize that many people consider him to be quite attractive or a sex symbol. When confronted with this idea, he appears skeptical and even denies it. For example, after being featured on the cover of TopMob for his role as Adrian Mole, he said something like “I find that hard to believe. I don’t know what to say. You should look at the cover of TopMob when I played Adrian Mole and tell me if that guy’s a sex symbol.

He frequently jokes about being compared to the Shrek donkey, given his appearance. However, he’s never thought of his looks as something he could use to his advantage. “I don’t intend to make people retch when they see me, but I also don’t expect them to be smitten. I’ve never once considered myself a leading man in that sense.

In a casual and understandable manner: He acts like he’s being shy, but I raise an eyebrow at him and respond, “Really? You think I’m trying to be mysterious?” To my surprise, the answer is indeed affirmative: “Yes.” (In this context, “little old sexy me” is replaced with “Really? You think I’m trying to be mysterious?”)

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2025-07-28 23:36