Stephen Merchant
English comedian and actor
Watching Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury. During Because The Night I actually shouted, "This is the greatest moment of my life!"
When were you happiest?
Question
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
Question
How close have you come to death?
Death & what remains
Question
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Craft & work
Question
What keeps you awake at night?
Daily life
Question
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Failure & regret
Question
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Time & hindsight
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I was a happy kid. I had quite a small life: I grew up in Walthamstow and didn’t really leave east London. I didn’t go to the South Bank for the first time until I was 18 years old.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 November 2023 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 577 →I don’t remember the womb, so … my first taste of ice cream? First night in a girl’s bed: happy.
Our last holiday together in Pangkor Laut.
Paul O'Grady
British comedian, actor and television presenter
When I hit 30 and managed to get a council flat in London. It was in the most terrible state, but it was bliss to have a flat of my own.
More from Paapa Essiedu
View profile →In order to raise money to pay for myself to go to the National Youth Theatre, I performed a medley of my drama school speeches and some songs for my entire school. Considering I can’t sing, this was terrible. I did U Remind Me by Usher and Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T’s. They paid £2 each – basically, to laugh at me.
In 2016, the moment my agent rang me to tell me I’d got the part of Hamlet for the RSC. While I was on the phone, I looked to my left and turned to the right, and a bus whizzed by and the wing mirror was so close to me that it knocked my hat off.
After losing my mum still managing to finish drama school, because that was really difficult. I lost her in the first year.
A really bad habit of eating sweets before I go to sleep.
Called me the N-word.
To find as many moments to laugh as possible.
More on time & hindsight
- What is the most important lesson life has taught you? 137 answers
- What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self, and what should they ignore? 78 answers
- What scares you about getting older? 61 answers
- What is the best advice you have ever received? 28 answers
- If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere, what would it say and why? 24 answers
- What is something you were told by a parent, teacher, or mentor that you still repeat to yourself? 23 answers
Also answered this
Jaime Winstone, Jenny Agutter, Julie Delpy, Geoffrey Rush, John Simm, Griff Rhys Jones
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