Bob Hoskins, 68, was born in Bury St Edmunds and raised in London. Having left school at 15, he worked as a porter, lorry driver and window cleaner. In 1968, he accompanied a friend to a play audition and ended up with the lead. Ten years later, he starred in his first TV drama, Dennis Potter's Pennies From Heaven, and in 1980 he made his major film debut with The Long Good Friday. He went on to star in The Cotton Club in 1984 and Mona Lisa in 1986, a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination. He is in Neverland, a Peter Pan prequel, on Sky Movies Premiere HD on 8 and 15 July.

When were you happiest?

When the kids were babies.

What is your greatest fear?

Loneliness.

What is your earliest memory?

The face of a cat looking into my cot at my home in Finsbury Park.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Lack of education.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Ignorance.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

When I introduced my wife, and I forgot her name.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family.

Where would you like to live?

Where I live now – in Muswell Hill

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

I never look close enough to judge.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?

Dodo – I'd want one for a pet.

What do you owe your parents?

Confidence. My mum used to say to me, "If somebody doesn't like you, fuck 'em, they've got bad taste."

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Danny DeVito.

What's the worst thing anyone's said to you?

Aren't you Danny DeVito?

What is your most unappealing habit?

Licking my fingers at the dinner table – Linda, my wife, hates it.

What is your favourite book?

Mr Norris Changes Trains, by Christopher Isherwood.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Eating biscuits.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Linda.

What was the best kiss of your life?

With Natasha Richardson, God bless her, on The Favour, The Watch And The Very Big Fish. She got hold of me and kissed me like I've never been kissed before. I was gobsmacked.

Which living person do you most despise, and why?

Tony Blair – he's done even more damage than Thatcher.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

HG Wells.

What is the worst job you've done?

Super Mario Brothers.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

Super Mario Brothers.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

I wouldn't do Super Mario Brothers.

What keeps you awake at night?

Worrying about money.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Play what you like, I won't be there.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

It's your life, live it your way.

Tell us a secret.

Never.