Douglas Booth: ‘When did I last cry? Watching the news. Human life seemed pretty cheap in 2024'
When were you happiest?
Whenever I'm swimming in the lido at London Fields.
What is your earliest memory?
Pretending to cry when I was put to bed by licking my finger and wiping my eyes to make it look like tears. Drama queen from day one.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
My friend Josie Naughton, the co‑founder and CEO of the charity Choose Love, which supports refugees and displaced people. She left her job working for Coldplay to dedicate her life to this cause.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Whenever I walk past an ice-cream shop, I just can't not buy an ice-cream.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
When people are rude to their waiter.
Describe yourself in three words
Clumsy, kind and excitable.
What would your superpower be?
To be able to eat and eat and eat without facing the consequences.
What makes you unhappy?
Overthinking.
What is your most unappealing habit?
My wife says I chew my food loudly.
What scares you about getting older?
Loneliness.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Bukayo Saka.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?
Anonymity. It will bring you more peace than fame.
What was the last lie that you told?
I didn't fart!
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What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Mixing a whole bag of Maltesers and Minstrels into popcorn and finishing it all before the movie trailers are even over.
What does love feel like?
I've learned that true love shouldn't be complicated. It's the safety and freedom to be seen and celebrated for who you truly are.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Anthony Bourdain.
Which living person do you most despise?
I try to not waste energy despising anyone.
Which phrases do you most overuse?
I'm hungry.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I'd give my younger self the lessons I've learned over the years, sparing myself the need to figure everything out so publicly.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.
When did you last cry, and why?
Watching the news. Human life seemed pretty cheap in 2024.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
One's created sense of self is not who you are. The present moment is all we have.
What happens when we die?
We go back from whence we came.
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