Acting is definitely a lifestyle, not a career choice'

Mention horses or acting to Simon MacCorkindale and both evoke a similar reaction - a passionate ability to talk for as long as you care to listen about either subject.

The British actor, currently renowned for his role as lead consultant Harry Harper in BBC1's long-running Casualty, is the first to admit his lifestyle may be hectic, but he thrives on it.

"It is very definitely a lifestyle, not a career choice. I have been very fortunate to be able to sustain it and keep moving forward," he said.

After breaking into acting while still at stage school in the 1970s, he has had numerous theatrical roles and starred in big TV and film hits including Death on the Nile, I Claudius, Jaws 3 and Counterstrike. He has also carved a niche for himself in several long-running series such as Falcon Crest and Casualty.

In between all this, he is an acclaimed stage and television director and producer with his own production companies, Anglo Films International and Amy International Artists.

Although his work has taken him all over the world, he loves the landscape and history of Malvern, where he has trodden the boards many times and where he is looking forward to playing the lead role in Sleuth.

He said: "I had a wonderful time there last year when I was doing The Unexpected Guest. We all had a fantastic time because the audiences at Malvern were great. I stayed at the Abbey Hotel and just loved sitting in the grounds enjoying the peace.

"I come up to Malvern at least three times a year to the showground with our horses and I love it there."

Oh yes - did I mention the horses? On his rare days off, Simon likes to spend time with his wife, actress and photographer Susan George, and their horses. Quite a lot of horses, in fact. The couple own a stud farm on Exmoor where they breed and show Arabians.

He admits he was lured into the world of horses by Susan, who he married in 1984.

"I had ridden a lot as a young actor for roles, but horses weren't necessarily a passion. I got into horses really in the early 90s and it has kind of grown from there. They do take a lot of time and it is difficult to do. That is one of the downsides of touring - I don't get to spend a lot of time at home.

Although most of the time he only gets to spend Sundays at home, in a strange way, touring with Sleuth has given him more free time than usual.

"I am working in the evenings so I have a whole day to fill. It is a lot less pressured. When I am working on Casualty, for example, we are rehearsing and recording a lot."

For Casualty fans brimming with questions, the hospital used for filming is not real but has one of the country's best-equipped A&E departments!

"Being an actor you do have to learn about different topics for a short time at least. On Casualty I have mainly learnt to appreciate what the emergency services and the NHS have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I believe that in Casualty we represent the health service in a very positive manner. That is a great responsibility of television in that you can dramatise real life."

Simon, who believes it is good for every actor to come back to the stage occasionally, is now planning to do more directing alongside the acting. He says: "I want to continue producing and writing and I would like to get back into films. I am looking forward to more of the same but with bigger and new challenges. That is what I find most satisfying about my life." l Sleuth is at Malvern Theatres from April 21 to April 26. Box office: 01684 892277.

10:45am Wednesday 9th April 2008

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