His Portrayals of Homosexual And Heartbroken Fathers Have Won Him Acclaim

So why can't Colin Firth bring himself to like little people in real life?

His Mr Darcy spanned the centuries; he displayed his musical talents in the award winning Mamma Mia! and is now receiving rave reviews as a grieving father in ghost story. Colin Firth is nothing if not versatile.

His latest film finds him moving to the exotic Italian town of Genova in search of a fresh start for his character Joe and his two young daughters: a family seeking new lives after the sudden death of their mother. Kelly, the 16-year-old, explores the sexy and dangerous underbelly of this mysterious new world, while the youngest, Mary, has just seen the ghost of her mother wandering the streets. A poignant tale of love and forgiveness and a contemporary family ghost story.

Although a far cry from Pride & Prejudice / Bridget Jones, a ‘well-cast’ Colin Firth has received glowing reviews proving once again that he is so much more than just a wet shirt. Although now there is a danger of him being re-typecast as, following the popularity of his gay character in the summer hit Mamma Mia!, Firth remarked, “You should see the scripts I’m getting!”

Perhaps his fear of being typecast as a father – gay or otherwise – is what lies behind his admission that he finds all children "loathsome" despite having three of his own.

Speaking in a recent interview, Firth admitted that he sometimes struggles to be affectionate with certain children “because they can be so annoying”. He said, "I don't always love kids. Sometimes I absolutely loath them.

"Children are just people who haven't lived very long yet. I'm predisposed to be affectionate if someone's smaller, but if they're loathsome in the first five minutes they're loathsome."

Maybe our resident A-lister could let locals in on his very own guide to ‘child-free Chiswick’?

September 12, 2008