“I was only addicted to two things – funk and praise”: Eddie Marsan’s Honest Playlist | Eddie Marsan

The first song I fell in love with
When I was a little boy, we had a caravan on the Isle of Sheppey, and I remember hearing George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord one summer’s day. It’s about the search for God, and I’ve always thought the way it goes from Hallelujah to Hare Krishna is really beautiful.

First song I bought
Big Time by Rick James of Paul’s Music on Cambridge Heath Road, London. Even at a young age, I loved my funk. I’m addicted to only two things in life: funk and praise.

The song I can no longer listen to
Les Misérables was very popular at drama school. I came from being an apprentice printer, and there were all these guys with long collars, with their hair tied back, singing about Javert. I thought: I can’t stand it. Of everything, Les Miss is the one that irritates me the most.

Best song to play at a party
Candy from Cameo because it’s a funky dance. Even if you can’t dance, you can just follow the person next to you.

The song I play at karaoke
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” by Etta James, because you’re probably grumpy at that time of night, so you can sing or scream and you’ll be fine.

The song I secretly love, but tell everyone I hate
Throughout my career, I have tried hard to sound cultured and articulate rather than a caricatured Cockney. But I think Chas & Dave’s ‘Ain’t No Pleasing You’ is one of the best British songs of the last 50 years.

The song to which I inexplicably know all the words
I’ve known every word to Elvis Presley’s Guitar Man since I was a kid, even though the syntax is very fast.

Best song for sex
Anything by Billie Holiday, really. But if my wife starts playing Strange Fruit, I have something to worry about.

The song that changed my life
I wasn’t very confident when I was younger, especially with girls. When I first heard James Brown’s “Get Up (Feel Like a Sex Machine),” I remember thinking: I want to lose myself in this. I can escape my insecurities by dancing.

The song that wakes me up in the morning
For me… “Formidable” by Charles Aznavour makes me feel cultured when I drink my morning coffee.

The song that makes me cry
When we had our first child, I was heading to Virginia, and a song called “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton, which he wrote when his little boy died, came on the radio. When you have a new baby, you are filled with all these new feelings. I didn’t realize the importance of that song until that moment.

The song I would want played at my funeral
Did you have any fun? By Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra.

No Ordinary Steal Now On Show and Sky Cinema On June 27th.