‘Outrageous, magnetic and genuinely fearless’: Mike Figgis on Julian Sands

The director worked with his friend Julian Sands on eight films – and one fitness regime.

Here he remembers an actor unlike any other: impish, charismatic and unafraid to shockI adored Julian.

I’ve never met anyone like him.

Our first encounter was in 1987, when I was casting my first film, Stormy Monday.

We had a coffee in the Hyatt hotel on Sunset Boulevard and he basically thrust himself forward and said: “I’ve got to play this part! This is me.”He was so pushy but I found his boldness very endearing.

He was wrong for the role; I ended up casting Sean Bean.

But I was very tickled by his enthusiasm and we became friends.

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