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

John Standing (Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet) is an actor who’s been showing on stage, tv and the silver display screen for greater than 60 years, writes York Membery.

Most lately, the 89-year-old starred alongside Michael Caine in The Nice Escaper – the true story of a veteran who broke out of his nursing residence to attend the seventieth anniversary D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

His grandfather, Sir Man Standing, was a Hollywood star within the Nineteen Thirties, and his actress mom Kay Hammond starred in Blithe Spirit within the West Finish throughout the warfare. 

He lives in London together with his second spouse Sarah, the daughter of actress Nanette Newman, and has 4 youngsters.

What did your dad and mom educate you about cash?

They informed me by no means to fret about it – however that was a crass perspective. My stockbroker dad, Sir Ronald Leon, was enormously wealthy as a younger man and acquired my actress mom a flat in London’s Park Lane, however the marriage resulted in divorce and he frittered his cash away on drink.

When he died aged 60, he left my late brother and I simply 60 quid every – however in a means that was a very good factor as a result of it pressured me to face by myself two toes.

My stepfather, Sir John Clemens, additionally an actor, informed me by no means to only take into consideration the cash however to go for good writing when taking an element – sound recommendation. That is why I jumped on the likelihood to look with Michael Caine in The Nice Escaper. Each of us had been disillusioned it did not get a nod at this 12 months’s award ceremonies, significantly because it was Michael’s final movie.

Have you ever ever struggled to make ends meet?

Sure, throughout my early days as an actor once I was in rep and staying in digs within the Nineteen Fifties. I used to be paid £6-7 per week and needed to eat a few of the most disgusting meals within the historical past of consuming. And even after turning into extra established, I lived on an overdraft on occasion.

Have you ever ever been paid foolish cash?

Sure, once I appeared within the US tv drama collection Lime Road with Robert Wagner [playing insurance assessors] within the mid-Eighties.

‘I do not actually deserve this!’ I assumed to myself, however in America it is the norm. I landed the function after Robert noticed me in a play on the Nationwide Theatre and mentioned he’d like to do a tv collection with me – so off I went to California.

We Brits are all the time shocked by simply how a lot cash you can also make on American TV, as Ricky Gervais, as an illustration, has found extra lately.

What was the most effective 12 months of your monetary life?

One among my finest years financially was 1975 once I toured the US with the lovable Maggie Smith in Noel Coward’s Non-public Lives. Doing my cabaret present for a month within the bar of New York’s Carlyle Lodge was additionally very remunerative. However that is present enterprise: you are both up there ringing bells, otherwise you’re pondering: ‘When’s it going to occur once more?’

The most costly factor you obtain for enjoyable?

A second-hand Mercedes 190 SL convertible which was underpowered, however ravishing to take a look at, for £200-300 within the late Nineteen Sixties once I was dwelling in Chelsea. It was my delight and pleasure however one night time there was a storm and I woke as much as discover that it had been hit by a water tower that had fallen down. The home windows had been smashed and the physique lined in dents – it appeared like somebody had attacked it with a baseball bat.

What’s your greatest cash mistake?

I spent a small fortune wining and eating an extremely fairly lady between my marriages – she was on heroin, and I used to be attempting to get her off heroin and into mattress, nevertheless it did not repay.

Nonetheless, it was clearly a blessing in disguise as a result of a number of years later I met my darling spouse Sarah – and I’ve simply handled her to a ruby necklace to mark our fortieth wedding ceremony anniversary.

Finest cash determination you’ve got made?

I’ve all the time subscribed to Noel Coward’s perception that sporting good garments makes you look extra profitable than you actually are. I purchased my first tailored go well with for 30 quid as a younger man, although to purchase the same go well with now would in all probability value a four-figure sum. Nonetheless, I believe his recommendation nonetheless holds true. Sadly, the moths have gotten to numerous my older fits.

Do you’ve got a pension?

Sure, I get a beneficiant [US] Display Actors Guild pension.

Do you personal any property?

I obtained my present residence terribly low-cost within the early Nineteen Nineties for £120,000 which had been owned by somebody who was bankrupt. It is a former secure home in Pimlico and I’ve no concept what it is price now although. A whole lot of MPs dwell within the smarter finish of Pimlico.

In the event you had been Chancellor what would you do?

I would swap jobs with one other Cupboard minister as a result of I am not excellent with cash and I am horrible at maths.

I would a lot quite be the Minister of the Arts, so I may make sure that all our nice galleries stay free to go to.

Additionally, I would give the Royal Shakespeare Firm and the Nationwide Theatre sufficient cash yearly to make sure that their productions stay of the very best normal.

What’s your primary monetary precedence?

Simply to maintain going…I am solely too glad to work if I am provided a good half in a TV drama or a movie. My theatre days, alas, are behind me.

The Nice Escaper is offered to stream on-line.