Did it take a lot of persuasion to get you to agree to star in Mamma Mia!?

The call came in on a February evening and I was at my mother’s house. My father had passed away a few days previously. I was sitting in the living-room with the priest, planning for the funeral. I said, ‘We’ve got to have bagpipes at the funeral.’ I went out into the yard to stretch my legs. The phone rang. It was the boys from Creative Artists Agency. They said, ‘Mamma Mia! Meryl Streep. Greece.’ And without missing a beat I said, ‘Count me in.’ I didn’t even ask how much I’d get paid. I walked back in and said to the priest, ‘I’ve got a job.’ We had the funeral the next day, sent dad off to heaven. That night I went to the theatre with my mother and step-children to see the Mamma Mia! show. I sat there in the theatre before it began and I was thinking, ‘My God, what did I agree to yesterday?’ I just kept telling myself ‘Meryl Streep is doing it and everything will be OK.’ Then the show started and one of the kids asked, ‘Who are you playing in the film?’ I realised I didn’t have a clue. I’d forgotten to ask. As the show went on I concluded that I must be one of the three possible dads. My father was called Carmichael. He was a great man from Scotland. A wonderful father. Then your man on stage says, ‘I see you play the bagpipes.’ Now my dad loved the bagpipes. I actually put my father’s tartan on the bagpipes that Meryl carries in the film. It’s not a sad story I’m telling you. It’s just one of those poignant stories about how you get to land a job.

Have you always been an ABBA fan?

Absolutely. I never missed them on Top Of The Pops. They were gorgeous, foxy, sexy…you name it. And the great thing is that there were two of them. Most bands had one sexy woman at the most. ABBA was double the pleasure. I hardly ever noticed Benny and Bjorn. But they obviously knew what they were doing.

Did you find the idea of singing slightly daunting?

Slightly! It’s one thing getting the job. It’s another thing to go off and sing S.O.S. The lad who sang it on stage when I saw the show, he had a wonderful voice. I saw the show in New York a few months later and, again, the singer was hugely talented. Martin Lowe is the musical director on this movie version and he turned out to be my north star. He was everyone’s north star, all of us who were required to pass ourselves off as singers. He was so constant and patient. But I was terrified about the singing to begin with.

Was it difficult to be directed by a woman?

On the contrary. It takes a wise man to know what side his bread is buttered on. I was more than happy being told what to do by a woman like Phyllida Lloyd who is the living embodiment of grace under pressure. Every moment she pointed us in the right direction, giving us all the courage to make fools of ourselves and complete a great movie, which I think it is.

How did it feel when you heard that some of the filming for Mamma Mia! was going to take place at Pinewood Studios where the Bond films are made?

I thought ‘You have got to be kidding me’. It felt as though the gods were out to mess with me. But it was great going through the gates that morning, going in to do Mamma Mia! It felt like a glorious way to return to that studio, to kick out the ghosts as it were. As the car approached the dressing-rooms I thought, ‘I hope they haven’t put me in my old cell.’ They put me in the Stanley Kubrick Building in this beautiful dressing-room. As I drew the drapes there was 007 emblazoned on the big shed across the way. That was my view every day. So I set up my easel because I like to paint on jobs like this. It takes the pain out of waiting and waiting for your call. So I’d do a painting in between working on my dance routines in front of the mirror.

How would you compare your acting in Mamma Mia! to your previous work?

I had the time of my life making this movie. I loved making it. It’s not easy to be objective about your own work. You look at it and always think you could have done better. But I am proud of this one. I looked at it and thought, ‘Am I looking alright or am I acting?’ It was easy because you’re meant to have fun. You’ve got this guy, an ex-MI6 character, singing S.O.S. I’m sure it puts the audience into a bit of a tailspin. There’s Brosnan doing his usual acting thing and suddenly he’s singing his heart out. But it’s done with sincerity and that’s the beauty of it.

How did you cope with the dance sequences?

We’re surrounded by 60 amazing dancers who are giving it 110 per cent every day and there’s the rest of us quickly trying to absorb our lessons and not forget our steps. I found that the Greek Step messed with my Irish feet a little bit.

How do you feel about comparisons that have been made between you and Daniel Craig as James Bonds?

I don’t listen to any of it. The world has the greatest Bond in Daniel Craig and it’s exciting to me and everyone else to find out what he does with the role next. He’s got the bit between his teeth and he’s going to run with it all the way. For me, Bond was just another job. But it was also a significant job and a life-changing experience. I’ll always be grateful for it coming along.

Did Meryl Streep live up to your expectations?

She went beyond my expectations. In the garden that night when I heard I’d be working with her that was a lot to take in. I knew she was brilliant but, until I worked with her, I didn’t realise how brilliant. She truly is The World’s Greatest Actress.

You have a moment when you appear in spandex and platform boots. How did you feel wearing that gear?

That was a day of reckoning, believe me. I looked in the mirror thinking, ‘Hey, you look pretty groovy’ until I realised it looked as though I had a toilet seat around my neck. Then I thought, ‘This really could be the end of your career. This could be your Waterloo, old son.’ I minced and hobbled out into the corridor to meet my colleagues who looked equally ridiculous. So we all swanned down the slippy, squeaky corridor and I thought, ‘Now would be a good moment to bump into Daniel Craig.’ Thinking I’d be saying, ‘Hi Daniel. Bond won’t last forever. You have all this to look forward to. All you see is genuine. There’s no sock hidden down these spandex trousers.’(laughs). We all wanted to do that scene. When you see the scene it’s so nice and funny. It’s pantomime, it’s vaudeville. It’s put the silly costume on, get your backside out there and make them laugh. When we walked out to do it, I’ve never heard such laughter.