When my sister was born I realised the world didn’t revolve around me. It was a curious thing: like, well, who is that? I got over it. My mother had three of us in a row. We were like triplets and very close. There was never any animosity.
During the Second World War, my mother, a Dutch native living in Bandung, was incarcerated in three Japanese concentration camps in Indonesia. Helping others kept her going. She had nightmares and couldn’t talk about it for years afterwards, but was remarkably sane, considering what she’d been through.
After the war, she went to Saint-Tropez and met my father, who’d been in the RAF and was recovering from a broken back. Mother came bounding out of the water and didn’t realise her knitted swimsuit had slipped underneath her breasts. He couldn’t move, but thought he’d better make an honest woman of her.
My father was a great doctor. At weekends we’d be unpaid auxiliary nurses at his hospital, rolling and cutting swabs. I grew up around surgery, sluice rooms, blood and guts. His idea was that if you see enough, you won’t be worried by it. Very useful for Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman.
I couldn’t stand school meals. I had to hide them. Anything bland made of mince or offal was my idea of absolute hell. At home, because of my mother, food was more interesting. Rice, sambal and, of course, a large chunk of Edam or Gouda.
Languages and I do well if I put my mind to it. It’s like singing. I had a week to hone my French for the role of Marie Antoinette in La Révolution Française and was there for six months. And now, je parle assez bien.
Richard Attenborough told me that the day you believe your own publicity, you’re dead. That was important to hear when you’re 21, starring in a Bond film and everyone’s telling the world you’re the best thing since sliced bread. His other advice was “You’ve been given a fine instrument. Your job is to tune it.” In other words, you’re photogenic and can act, but you have to do the work.
At the beginning of #MeToo, I felt it was appropriate to explain that I’d been put in a situation by a powerful film producer. I said “no” and left, but he threatened that my entire career would be destroyed if I told anyone. My agent knew of his reputation, but didn’t protect me. It so damaged me emotionally that I didn’t act for a year.
My first marriage, in my opinion, did not count. We were young. He jokes that on our wedding day we knew we were stuck, but it was too late to give the presents back. We still adore each other. My second husband is probably one of my closest friends on the planet.
For the sake of my children, I’ve remained friends with my third and fourth husbands, and with their significant others, too. We’ve been able to resume the good parts of the relationship. I don’t love how the marriages ended, but we shared amazing experiences. There’s an enormous amount of love there.
Harry Wild series 1–3 is streaming now on Acorn TV
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