Lennie James
(Picture: Lee Martin)Home is …
I’m very much a south London fella, I grew up around Streatham and Tooting. But with my wife and kids, we were in north-west London, and then in LA for 15 years. But when we refer to home, we all know that means London.
Which shops do you rely on?
John Lewis has seen a lot of action since we moved back, and Marks & Spencer. They’re just convenient and their stuff tastes really good. For clothes: G-Star, their clobber is great. And Borough Market, because we’re in the neighbourhood now. It’s a little too popular, but there are still stalls and people we know from our old market.
If you could buy any building in London and live there which would it be?
The Shard because I hate what it looks like, what it’s done to the skyline. I would throw a massive party right at the top of it, and then raze it to the ground. Then I’d just leave a gap as a warning to people who want to put up buildings that phallic.
What would you do as Mayor for the day?
I would do what was promised and use the money from the congestion charge to make it cheaper to travel around. And I’d forgive all parking tickets.
What makes someone a Londoner?
You know the differences between north and south London. I didn’t switch sides. I would always refer to myself as ‘in exile’.
What’s the best thing a cabbie has ever said to you?
I jumped in a cab in Oxford Street. This cabbie said, ‘Where you going?’ and I went ‘To the Palace — and you have to put this in your window because we’re driving in.’ He said, ‘You’re kidding me?!’ So he’s on the phone to his wife and I’m taking them into Buck House, it was the nicest thing.
Ever had a run-in with a police officer?
Yeah. I’m a Black man. I mean I’ve had good run-ins with the police. And I’ve had bad run-ins with the police. It’s a story as old as time at this point, but yes is my answer.
Who is your hero?
Muhammad Ali. He’s the only hero I ever had growing up. All of the things that were being negatively projected on us as Black people, there was Ali proving them wrong. He was the Black Superman. He was stronger. He was pretty. He was smarter. He was funny. He was the best boxer of all time and a great man; flawed of course, he made mistakes, but as a force in the world he instilled a belief in what we could do.
What’s your favourite work of art?
I’m calling out a friend, Zak Ové, he does these huge kind of Easter Island heads. They tell stories of the West Indian diaspora. He’s done loads of them, the level of detail is breathtaking. You walk in and its like the Terracotta Army.
The last thing you googled?
A recipe for Nigella’s lemon and ginger biscuits as first-night gifts for the crew of A Number. My wife was making them and I decorated them.
Where do you go to let your hair down?
I used to love to go to a gig. I used to follow Gil Scott-Heron around, we’ve seen Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna. I saw James Brown at [Brixton] Academy and lost my mind. I couldn’t have let my hair down any more.
What’s your biggest extravagance?
Despite that I have primarily been based in America for the last 15 years, I have kept my Spurs season ticket. Every single year. Oh my goodness, it is an investment.
