'I cry at everything'

Actor Martin Clunes on his love for animals, running his farm and his latest projects

- VICKI POWER

Martin Clunes is one of Britain’s most successful actors, a national treasure who has appeared in some of our best-loved series, from Men Behaving Badly to Doc Martin, and who has starred in smash-hit films such as Shakespeare In Love.

You'd think he’d bask in the accolades and popularity that keep him at the top of Britain's showbiz tree, but Martin admits that it’s only recently he’s begun to feel more confident in his abilities. ‘As someone who's sort of had a lot of imposter syndrome throughout my life and felt slightly peripheral or in the wrong place, I think, “You're in your 60s now and that earns you a little something,”' he confesses endearingly.

‘It's like, “No, I'm OK. I can be here.” How surprising, I say, that an actor with so many successes under his belt would suffer imposter syndrome. ‘I’m all right with it,’ shrugs Martin. ‘It’s just a little self-doubt. Doesn't everybody have it? No, probably not. I wonder if Tom Hardy does!’

In person, Martin is sharp, funny and self-deprecating with it. We’re meeting today to talk about his book Meetings with Remarkable Animals, a fascinating read that’s jam-packed with stories of animals that have done heroic and astounding feats.

‘What I love is that the stories in Remarkable Animals