When you find out that you’ve been given the go-ahead to interview one of your favourite actors from the past few years, strange things start to happen. You start to shake, you start to go to the toilet more often and, after a while, you feel your face aching because you’ve just been smiling so much. It was safe to say I was looking forward to chatting to Philip Glenister, the man who made Gene Hunt this year’s funniest and most brilliant TV character.

And it’s been quite a year for him too – not only did he cement his place in TV’s Hall Of Fame, but he also landed a role in the terrific Cranford. We spoke to him on the set of Ashes To Ashes, the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to Life On Mars. He was modest, funny and very happy. If you were playing Gene Hunt, I think you would be too.

TV Scoop: Well Philip, it’s been quite a year for you. To top it all off, we’ve voted Life On Mars as out favourite show of 2007.
Philip Glenister: It’s great to hear that so many people have got such fine tastes!

TVS: I know it’s long gone now and you must be tired of talking about it… hold on, are you tired of talking about Life On Mars?!
PG: No, not at all. Why would I? It changed our careers in many respects. So you can’t be tired of talking about that.

TVS: When you first started it, did you have any idea that people like me would still be rattling on about it now?
PG: No! It was just a weird concept. I remember getting the script, and my agent describing to me. It wasn’t so much the premise that interested me at the time, it was more finding out that Kudos were behind it, because of their track record with Spooks and Hustle. They make very stylish TV shows, but so character and story driven. When I saw that they were onboard, that’s what woke the old antennae up a bit. You kind of think: “that would be a great company to work for, and they’re bound to do something interesting.” As we got into filming it, John (Simm) and I thought – back in 2005 – what on Earth are we doing in a Seventies cop show! Most actors could only dream of that. When the first episode went out, I got so many texts from actor mates asking if they could be in it. That and them calling me a lucky bastard!

TVS: So what do you think made it so special?
PG: The writing, without doubt. It’s always got to be about the writers. I’ve got nothing but admiration for writers, I think they’re extraordinary. I’ve always sort of said they’re the only people in this industry who start with a blank canvass, and the rest of us have something to work with. For Life On Mars, the writers were packed off to Blackpool to come up with an idea and the brief was no cop shows, no doctors and no vets! They were struggling for an idea so they sat down over a pint and asked themselves what they enjoyed as kids and what they grew up with. The Sweeney came out on top, and some of the sci-fi shows, Back To The Future… and then a little trigger went off – hey, time-travelling cop show! After a few more hallucinatory drugs, they got to Life On Mars.

TVS: God bless Blackpool!
PG: It was actually going to be set in Blackpool. Then it moved to Bristol. Then from Bristol they went to London, and then finally it ended up in Manchester.

TVS: Gene Hunt is one of those TV classic characters. Just how much fun was it to play him. To me, seeing you play it… it looked like big fun to play him.
PG: It was great. It was one of those parts that was just a gift for an actor. You’re lucky if they come up once in your career. You have to remember the input that John had too. He was immense. I got all the showy stuff, but he had a much, much harder job. What he did so brilliantly was to portray a man stuck in 1973, not knowing why, and really freaking about it. Rather than embracing it and thinking, “this is great!”, he spent the whole series asking, “how the f*** did I get here?!” Playing that sheer panic and fear was terrific. I just got to play the laughs.

TVS: Yeah, I do think perhaps that Gene wouldn’t have worked quite as well if John wasn’t around to play the straight man.
PG: Without a doubt. There was a chemistry between the two characters, and you have to have that chemistry between the actors too. I have enormous respect for John as an actor and as a person. He’s an amazing actor. I’ve been lucky enough to work with him a few times, and when you’re working opposite someone that good it really raises your game. It’s a real buzz.

TVS: Have you got a favourite Gene Hunt moment from Life On Mars?
PG: Oh my God, I’ve got so many!!! Jesus. I’ve got a favourite scene. It was the one that was done all in one take, and it was all basically me describing this post office blag. I have to come crashing through the doors with just loads of dialogue – I go into the office, put me coat down and get me gun out. It was a real challenge and had to be done in one take. There’s the great pay-off line at the end when Sam is worrying his bollocks off – “Oh Guv, this isn’t the right approach, we shouldn’t be doing this” – and I say (adopts Gene Hunt accent): “If I worried as much as you do, I would never fart for fear of shitting myself. No you get to that post office or never show your face in this station again. Comprehendez muchacho?” I enjoyed that scene. It’s going on my show reel.

TVS: Cranford is also in our Top 10… that must have been a very different experience for you, but equally as enjoyable.
PG: Yeah, very much so. Not quite as demanding in terms of time – it was a big ensemble show – but I was thrilled to be in it. Knowing that I was going to come back and play Gene in Ashes To Ashes, it was important for me to find something that was completely different, just to remind people I can do other things. Again there was some great writing and an incredible cast.

TVS: You’re back in the saddle with Gene at the moment with Ashes To Ashes. Is there anything you can tell us about it? How’s it all going?
PG: It’s great. Gene’s joined the MET and he’s brought the boys with him, and we have Keeley (Hawes) as DI Drake now. It’s a different kind of chemistry, but equally as good. We’re just on the last legs of filming and it’s going really well.

Read all our Top 50 coverage here.
See a Life On Mars review here.