Plays and Players
June 1997, p.36
Happy To Be Single Stephen Billington
Talks to Angela LordBefore he was picked to star in a TV drama based on a racy romance by Jilly Cooper, Stephen Billington was hardly a household name - but this role as ladykiller Lysander has guaranteed him maximum exposure.
In the opening scene of "The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous" he runs naked through a garden, chased by a jealous husband with a crossbow and hides in a tree to escape the jaws of two snarling Dobermans.
"I didn't work out for the part and having seen the results, I wish I had!" he laughs. "There I was, stark naked, dashing through these grounds in the freezing cold. It was awkward having to strip off, but you have to think of it as a part of the job. After hours of filming it gets beyond embarrassment, you get used to it."
In the novel, Lysander is described as "tall, broad-shouldered and heart-stoppingly handsome, wildly affectionate, with a wall-to-wall smile". Jilly Cooper herself approved of the choice of Stephen for the role which she says should combine sex appeal, vulnerability and strength.
Looking smart-casual in a cool cream outfit which he claims is his only suit, his lean limbs draped awkwardly in a chair and a lock of soft brown hair flopping over his forehead, it is easy to see why Stephen has been hailed as the next Hugh Grant; but he dismisses such comparisons as meaningless. "Last year they compared me to Colin Firth, now it's Hugh Grant..." he shrugs, mulling over the idea before concluding: "I don't come from the same background as Hugh Grant but I would like to be as good an actor as Colin Firth."
The publicity pictures for "The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous" portray a smooth young opportunist surrounded by eager women of all ages.
"It was great to play Lysander, but I'm not anything like him - I certainly don't go around trying to woo married women!" says Stephen. "But he's not Casanova or a gigolo, he just has a boyish charm which women find attractive, and he has a genuine affection for women. He has a naivety and gentleness(?) which is quite appealing."
Ferdie, played by Hugh Bonneville, comes up with the idea of hiring Lysander out as a companion for wealthy wives who want to turn the tables on their errant husbands.
"It sounds like a pretty shocking line of work, but I see the character as a kind of modern day Tom Jones," says Stephen. "The story is full of people who find themselves in extraordinary or extreme situations, a bit like restoration comedy. This was a great chance to play a romantic character in a comic vein."
Stephen, aged 27, who has a bachelor flat in Kentish Town, has a modest (?) lifestyle which is afar from the fantasy world inhabited by Lysander, who speeds from one woman to another in his lipstick pink sports car. He celebrated his success in securing the role by buying a ghettoblaster and cracking open a single bottle of champagne with a girlfriend, who has since become history. He freely admits he doesn't share Lysander's way with women: his attempts to woo them are more likely to involve a walk by the Thames or a faltering love poem (?) rather than lavish wining and dining.
"I've always been shy about chatting up girls; it's a matter of confidence," he says. "To see someone like you, then move into their space and start talking is something I still find difficult. I hate those awkward silences when you first meet someone. I just wish you could skip all the formula questions."
As for his taste in women, he says: "I'm not into showy girls, I like natural looks, and someone who is strong, intelligent and romantic. I've had a few serious relationships but I'm happy being single at the moment."
Stephen, who was born in Bolton, spent his early childhood in South Africa before returning to Lancaster, where he threw himself into school plays and Sunday school productions, dreaming of being an actor when he grew up. The dream was put on hold for a while when he joined a management training scheme with the Savoy Group of hotels. Working at the Connate in London, chance encounters with great actors like Alec Guinness spurred him on to apply to drama school. His decision to leave his steady management career concerned his parents at the time.
"All they knew about the acting profession was that there was 90 per cent unemployment, and they were worried about that," he explains.
After three years at the Drama Center in London, he landed roles in two BBC series, "The Buccaneers" and "Space Precinct", and a part in Mel Gibson's film "Braveheart", before being picked to play Lysander.
"My mother was a bit shocked at the thought of all the sex scenes, but it was OK when she saw the final film," he says. "During filming I persuaded my parents to come on the set and got them parts as extras in a restaurant scene. Since then, my dad's really got into acting and joined the local amdram group!"
Since filming "The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous", Stephen has completed a season with the RSC and appeared in “Gabriel” at the Soho Theatre.
"Gabriel is a mysterious young man who is befriended by various women who have different ideas about who he is," he explains, showing his enthusiasm for fringe theatre.
Rather than forsaking the stage for the screen, he sees the more lucrative TV and film parts as a means of funding his involvement in further interesting theatre projects.
"I'm into new writing, which is terribly underfunded," he says. "I find it exciting to get up on stage every night, but I like filming as well, for different reasons: I find it more relaxed. I like to do a bit of everything."
His role as Lysander has placed him in the media spotlight and is likely to lead to more offers of TV work, but in the long term he is looking for worthwhile roles rather than instant stardom.
"It was great to play a leading role, but it's not size that counts, a good cameo could be just as juicy," he says. "I'm not just looking for fame: being recognised in the street isn't something I particularly relish. My aim isn't to be a star - my aim is to be a good actor."
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