Actor John Standing's biggest surprise? The size of his cheque for appearing in Robert Wagner's US 演劇 Lime Street

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星／主役にする lineage: John Standing with his wife Sarah, daughter of Nanette Newman

John Standing (Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet) is an actor who's been appearing on 行う／開催する／段階, television and the silver 審査する for more than 60 years, 令状s York Membery.

Most recently, the 89-year-old starred と一緒に Michael Caine in The 広大な／多数の／重要な Escaper ? the true story of a 退役軍人 who broke out of his nursing home to …に出席する the 70th 周年記念日 D-Day 記念s in Normandy.

His grandfather, Sir Guy Standing, was a Hollywood 星／主役にする in the 1930s, and his actress mother, Kay Hammond, starred in Blithe Spirit in the West End during the war.?

He lives in London with his second wife, Sarah, the daughter of actress Nanette Newman, and has four children.

What did your parents teach you about money?

They told me never to worry about it ? but that was a crass 態度. My stockbroker dad, Sir Ronald Leon, was enormously rich as a young man and bought my actress mother a flat in London's Park 小道／航路, but the marriage ended in 離婚, and he frittered his money away on drink.

When he died 老年の 60, he left my late brother and I just 60 quid each ? but in a way, that was a good thing because it 軍隊d me to stand on my own two feet.

My stepfather, Sir John Clemens, also an actor, told me never to just think about the money but to go for good 令状ing when taking a part ? sound advice. That's why I jumped at the chance to appear with Michael Caine in The 広大な／多数の／重要な Escaper. Both of us were disappointed it didn't get a nod at this year's award 儀式s, 特に as it was Michael's last film.

Have you ever struggled to make ends 会合，会う?

Yes, during my 早期に days as an actor when I was in rep and staying in digs in the 1950s. I was paid £6-7 a week and had to eat some of the most disgusting food in the history of eating. And even after becoming more 設立するd, I lived on an overdraft from time to time.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

Yes, when I appeared in the US television 演劇 series Lime Street with Robert Wagner [playing 保険 assessors] in the 中央の-1980s.

'I don't really deserve this!' I thought to myself, but in America, it's the norm. I landed the 役割 after Robert saw me in a play at the 国家の Theatre and said he'd love to do a television series with me ? so off I went to California.

We Brits are always surprised by just how much money you can make on American TV, as Ricky Gervais, for instance, has discovered more recently.

What was the best year of your 財政上の life?

One of my best years financially was 1975 when I 小旅行するd the US with the adorable Maggie Smith in Noel Coward's 私的な Lives. Doing my cabaret show for a month in the 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 of New York's Carlyle Hotel was also very remunerative. But that's show 商売／仕事: you're either up there （犯罪の）一味ing bells, or you're thinking: 'When's it going to happen again?'

The most expensive thing you bought for fun?

A second-手渡す Mercedes 190 SL 転換できる which was underpowered, but ravishing to look at, for £200-300 in the late 1960s when I was living in Chelsea. It was my pride and joy but one night there was a 嵐／襲撃する and I woke up to find that it had been 攻撃する，衝突する by a water tower that had fallen 負かす／撃墜する. The windows were 粉砕するd and the 団体／死体 covered in dents - it looked like someone had attacked it with a baseball bat.

What is your biggest money mistake?

I spent a small fortune ワインing and dining an incredibly pretty girl between my marriages ? she was on ヘロイン, and I w as trying to get her off ヘロイン and into bed, but it didn't 支払う／賃金 off.

However, it was 明確に a blessing in disguise because several years later, I met my darling wife Sarah ? and I've just 扱う／治療するd her to a ruby necklace to 示す our 40th wedding 周年記念日.

二塁打 行為／法令／行動する: John Standing in The 広大な／多数の／重要な Escaper with Michael Caine

Best money 決定／判定勝ち（する） you have made?

I've always subscribed to Noel Coward's belief that wearing smart 着せる／賦与するs makes you look more successful than you really are. I bought my first tailor-made 控訴 for 30 quid as a young man, though to buy a 類似の 控訴 now would probably cost a four-人物／姿／数字 sum. However, I think his advice still 持つ／拘留するs true. Sadly, the moths have got to a lot of my older 控訴s.

Do you have a 年金?

Yes, I get a generous [US] 審査する Actors Guild 年金.

Do you own any 所有物／資産／財産?

I got my 現在の home terribly cheap in the 早期に 1990s for £120,000 which had been owned by someone who was 破産者／倒産した. It's a former stable house in Pimlico and I've no idea what it's 価値（がある） now though. A lot of MPs live in the smarter end of Pimlico.

If you were （ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長, what would you do?

I'd 交換（する） 職業s with another 閣僚 大臣 because I'm not very good with money and I'm terrible at maths.

I'd much rather be the 大臣 of the Arts, so I could 確実にする that all our 広大な／多数の／重要な galleries remain 解放する／自由な to visit.

Also, I'd give the 王室の Shakespeare Company and the 国家の Theatre enough money every year to 確実にする that their 生産／産物s remain of the highest 基準.

What is your number one 財政上の 優先?

Just to keep going...I'm only too happy to work if I'm 申し込む／申し出d a decent part in a TV 演劇 or a film. My theatre days, 式のs, are behind me.

• The 広大な／多数の／重要な Escaper is 利用できる to stream online.