#also pilates

Richard, 53, lives with his partner in London

Sci-Fi Books

When I was studying for my English A level, we were given A Science Fiction Omnibus by Brian Aldiss and I remember being intrigued by what the writers of the 1950s and 60s thought the future would be like. It sparked a love of sci-fi books.

Snow Days

Every year, as winter approaches and I see pictures of snowy mountains, my heart starts racing and I think: "When am I going to get up a mountain this year?" I love the altitude, the fresh air, the après-ski, but most of all, I love getting to the top of the mountain, looking at the extraordinary view and then skiing down. It feels a little bit like flying.

Shepherd's Pie

It sounds trashy, but I really like food you can eat with one hand a spoon on the sofa - and that's what shepherd's pie is. Even now, if I'm at a really fancy restaurant and it has shepherd's pie on the menu, I'll order it.

Trips to the movies

I go to the cinema every week. I really enjoy the collective experience; it's a bit like the theatre, where the reactions of an audience are infectious. When I saw Alien: Romulus, everyone had their hands over their faces - then we all screamed at the same time!

My Robin Hood outfits

Until recently, I still had two jackets from when I played Guy of Gisbourne in the BBC One series of Robin Hood. I recently auctioned them for charity and its nice to know they're now in the hands of fans.

Pilates

I'm a bit of a Pilates fanatic. A few years ago, I starred in the play Uncle Vanya with a brilliant actress called Dearbhla Molloy, who was in her mid-70s at the time but had this incredible physique and energy. She told me it was all down to Pilates, so I said: 'Right, that's what I'm going to do' - and I haven't looked back.

Listening to Max Richter

I still remember hearing Max Richter's version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons for the first time and I thought: 'Wow, it's like a funked-up jazz version.' I always listen to Max's music when I'm writing my books now, and I like to fall asleep to his Sleep album.

The luxury I couldn't live without... My Eames chair

When I was furnishing my flat in London, the one thing I invested in was an Eames chair, it sits in a corner of my lounge with two windows on either side so I can look out, and it's where I do all my writing.

The Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark