Damian Lewis has spoken to the ECHO in an exclusive interview about his upcoming show in Liverpool, sharing stories about Jurgen Klopp, Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino. The 55-year-old actor is touring his second album, Sweet Chaos, which comes to District this Saturday. He said: "Liverpool has such a unique character. The people, the city, the history, the docks, the art scene, and obviously the music scene. It's difficult to beat anywhere. That's why I'm so looking forward to coming to play music in Liverpool."
A Lifelong Love for the Reds
Lewis's connection to Liverpool is a lifelong affair, having fallen for Liverpool FC as a child through his nan and grandad, who lived in the city. He recalled: "My grandma was actually a Toffee, but I used to talk to her about Liverpool and everything. When I was that age, all my favourite players were Reds. Once you're in, you're in. You can't change."
He also shared a personal football memory: "John Barnes coached me as a kid when I was at school near Watford. So I've actually been coached by Barnsey, and we joke about it when we see each other."
Behind the Scenes at Anfield
The actor has passed his passion for the Reds to his son, Gulliver, and the pair once went behind the scenes at Anfield. He described meeting Sadio Mane: "We walked in, and then just at that moment—like 20 minutes after everyone else had left, Sadio Mané came out of the shower, a towel round his [waist], just sort of sauntering along in his own time."
Lewis also recalled Jurgen Klopp's kindness after a Champions League final defeat. He said: "The players were despondent, but Jürgen was just on the dance floor saying, 'Come on, it's been amazing, we've just gone to a Champions League final, next time we'll do it.'"
Klopp's Personal Gesture
Lewis was touched when Klopp agreed to a personal favour. He said: "Jürgen is famous for this, but I asked him to write a little message to my nephew who was struggling with some things. A week later, I get a little letter from Jürgen. It's just amazing that they find the time to do all these things."
Lewis also spoke about his career highlights, including being flown to LA to meet Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for Band of Brothers, and working with Quentin Tarantino on Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. He said: "I've had a lot of good moments and I've been very lucky."
Damian Lewis plays at District on Saturday, October 17.
