Stephen Mangan on why he'll never be Bond
Desert Island Discs

Stephen Mangan on why he'll never be Bond

B2Upper-intermediateOctober 19, 20262 min
  • Interview
  • Entertainment

The actor Stephen Mangan was cast away by Lauren Laverne in 2025. He made his breakthrough on television playing Adrian Mole in The Cappuccino Years in 2001. Although he was glad to get the part, he describes being cast by Adrian Mole's creator, Sue Townsend, as a somewhat disconcerting experience. You can listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds.

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Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne.

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moments directly from our desert island with you every weekday.

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0:00

Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne. Welcome to Desert Island Discs postcards, where we share funny, moving and memorable moments directly from our desert island with you every weekday. Our final week of Desert Island Discs postcards begins with the actor Steven Mangan, whose

0:28

roles include the well-meaning barrister Nathan Stern in the BBC series The Split and the bumbling Bertie Worcester in the West End. But they're a far cry from some of his earlier parts. Remember the arrogant, womanising, anesthetist guy, Sekritan in Greenwing? When I spoke to him last year, I asked him whether he enjoyed playing anti-heroes.

0:48

Oh I loved it. I mean they're the best parts. You get to release all that stuff, those little bits of you, the little corners of your personality that you don't dare reveal, you just don't like to reveal or you keep hidden and you get to give them full rain. Those parts are a joy, especially Guy Secretan in Green Wing. He was so obnoxious.

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