Eddie Izzard would love to play Richard III because she enjoys playing ‘twisted b***ards’

The comic and actor, 59, on Nazi schoolgirls, meeting Sir Paul McCartney and why we all need to do more running.

Six Minutes To Midnight, which you co-wrote, is set in an English finishing school attended by girls of high-ranking Nazis…

It’s based on a real school in Bexhill-on-Sea, where I grew up. I’m a patron of the museum there and the museum curator showed me this school blazer badge, which is the one used in the film. And I thought, ‘Holy cow! That’s a Union Jack and a swastika on the same badge!’ It was just saying, ‘There’s a movie here!’

Jim Broadbent is co-star. Is he an old friend?

I’ve worked with him a few times. It was wonderful he said he’d do it. His character, Charlie, is based on my grandfather. He was a bus driver in Bexhill. It’s kind of fun to have Oscar-winning Jim Broadbent playing someone based on Grandad.

When you were young, you studied accountancy. Why?

I was naturally inclined that way, selling crayons in the schoolyard in case a nuclear winter happened and they needed crayons. I was always a hustler. I wanted to run a corner shop, selling kids railway sets.

Has drama always been a big career ambition?

Acting is my first love. I saw a play when I was seven and I said, ‘I’m going to do that.’ But I think I was too small. You know, the taller kids always got, ‘OK, you’re with the girl and you get the lead.’ And also, I think I was trying too hard. I’m in an audition, I can say the lines really loud, something like that. Either I was really bad or I was over-trying. Got no roles. Always endless spear carrier roles, tree in the background or someone behind the tree. So when I discovered Monty Python and comedy, I thought, ‘I’ll do that. You can write your own scripts.’

You’ve been in huge-scale movies like Valkyrie and Ocean’s Twelve. Do you get a kick out of switching between those and the indies?

I do love the big ones. And I love the small ones. It’s like I love playing Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden but I also love playing rooftops with 80 people. It’s great to have those gears. Some people don’t have gears, they can only do certain things, but I’ve trained myself to try and have gears because I think it keeps you on your toes. I’ve done gigs in French, German and Spanish. You just keep doing the training.

How come you’re able to perform comedy in so many languages?

It’s just work. People say I have a faculty for languages and I don’t think I do. I just have a desire to learn languages. And it’s a positive thing for humanity. I’m saying, I’m proud of my country but I want to reach out to other countries. Can we learn from you? Can you learn from us? How can we all move forward? We’re all human beings and I’m not going to be prejudiced against anyone. I was born in Yemen. So Arabic’s the fifth one I’m going to learn and then Russian.

Is there an historical figure you would like to play?

I’d like to play Richard III. I’d like to do Shakespeare — I haven’t done any. I need to play Iago first but historic character? No, there is no particular role I hanker for, in case I couldn’t get it. But I do like playing driven people. I’m happy to play twisted bastards. Because I think maybe we have that potential inside all of us.

Of all the famous people you’ve met, is there one encounter that sticks out?

I talked to Paul McCartney [once]. I said, ‘How come you play the piano?’ And he said this thing which I don’t know is out there. He said, ‘I was in Hamburg and my guitar blew up. And so the piano was there and I just jumped on the piano.’ And he started hammering away on the piano. So that’s why he started playing the piano.

You famously ran 32 marathons in 31 days for charity. Would you encourage others to get running?

I encourage people to be match-fit for life. All wild animals are. We’re all natural animals. When we’re kids, we run as much as we should run. As adults, we think we’d better tone that all down. And I don’t think we should. We should actually keep doing as much exercise as we did as kids all through our life. These things — our bodies — are designed to be used. Like a car. If you don’t drive, it starts to seize up. These things, if you don’t use them, they fall apart.

You work so hard at so many things. Do you ever think about slowing down?

It’s just film acting, stand-up, politics and endurance running. That’s only four things. It’s not like I’m saying ‘I want to climb Everest, I want to play a banjo…’

Are you an optimist?

I’m definitely an optimist. I’m a glass-is-two-thirds-full person.

Six Minutes To Midnight is on Sky Cinema from tomorrow.

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