The only lesson I’ve learned from life: Actor Kris Marshall, 49, says impatience ruins precious moments
Kris Marshall is best known as DI Humphrey Goodman in BBC’s Death In Paradise
The Bath-based actor, 49, also currently stars in ITV’s Sanditon
He says impatience ruins precious moments and says he has learned to calm down
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Kris Marshall, 49, is most famous as DI Humphrey Goodman in BBC crime drama Death In Paradise and currently plays in ITVs Sanditon. He lives in Bath with his wife, Hannah, their nine year old son and six-year-old daughter.
IMPATIENCE RUINSNT PRECIOUS MOMENTS
As my wife would confirm, patience is something I’ve always been bad at.
I hate queues. I am certainly not British in that regard. I am much more Mediterranean in my mood.
The problem is, as an actor, impatience is almost a virtue. It’s what drives you. When I started in 1992, I called the National Theater every week and offered to carry a spear.
Actor Kris Marshall, 49, is best known for his role as DI Humphrey Goodman in BBC’s Death In Paradise
For the next year, I faxed them my lightly-adorned resume every week. That’s when they begged me to stop. But it’s a double-edged sword: something that fuels you in your youth can become a hindrance as you get older.
And the better known you become, the more you stand out. Your face is your product, so impatience comes across as rudeness or arrogance.
I’ve really had to learn to calm down because my mind is always working 100 miles an hour and I have a terrible habit of finishing other people’s sentences. I remember my dear late mother saying to me, “Don’t engage in other people’s conversations – it’s rude.”
So being more patient is something I’ve tried to learn. It’s also much healthier; you carry less stress and it is better for your relationships. People tend to open up to you and you learn more.
My wife says, “You have this charm – use it.” So instead of going straight to my phone when I’m in line, I try to stay present. When you retreat behind a screen, you cure a symptom, but you don’t address the root of the problem.
I was at my son’s sports day recently and it was very hot. I was starting to get a little cranky so I went over to him and sat down with him and had the most enlightening conversation. Normally I would have run away somewhere or sat in my car.
But I just had the best conversation with my boy. If I hadn’t taken stock, I would have lost that moment. Impatience robs you of such moments. When I see someone angry, I think, ‘Wow, was I like this before?’
Series two of Sanditon is on ITV on Friday at 9pm.