Frank Cottrell-Boyce
British screenwriter, novelist and actor
My inability to say no.
Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?
Question
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
Question
How close have you come to death?
Death & what remains
Question
When were you happiest?
Time & hindsight
Question
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Craft & work
Question
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Failure & regret
Question
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Values & belief
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
The Guardian's The Q&A has retained this Proust-derived prompt from at least 2007 through 2026, and ABC independently put it to the Obamas in 2011.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I can’t cook. I use my smoke alarm as a timer.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 June 2024 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 243 →Self-righteousness and a phobia of embarrassment.
Being an incurable workaholic.
Jim Kerr
Scottish singer and songwriter
I’ve learned to give myself a break. Everyone should.
More from Kathy Lette
View profile →Bumping into my male boss at a nudist beach.
Hitchhiking across Australia as a teenager, relying on the kindness of passing serial killers.
When the book of my enemy was discounted.
Raising two children. If you can get your kids to adulthood and they’re not voting Tory, doing drugs or collecting Nazi memorabilia, then you deserve a medal.
Not winning any literary prizes.
People who pretend to have perfect marriages. Perfect marriages are like orgasms – many of them are faked.
More on identity & self
Also answered this
Zadie Smith, Danielle Steel, Rose Tremain, Julian Clary, Jane Asher, John Grisham
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