Clive Owen Loves Footy, Armani & Sam Spade, the Role that Made Bogart Famous

Charming British actor Clive Owen (59) won a BAFTA and Golden Globe award for his performance in the romantic drama Closer.

But the soccer-loving father of two girls, with whom he loves to have a kickaround with, loves appearing in crime dramas. For example, his first major British TV role was on Chancer, a crime drama, and, he’s adeptly portrayed a spot-on President Clinton in Impeachment: American Crime.

But Owen is also a huge fan of “noir” projects, including: his movie breakthrough role in noir crime drama Croupier; and, now his new role in the limited series Monsieur Spade, where he plays iconic noir character, detective Sam Spade. Warming to this crime drama set in the early 1960s, Owen enthuses: “I’ve always been a fan of film noir, and hard-boiled characters like Sam Spade, who was immortalized in The Maltese Falcon by Humphrey Bogart.”

Owen claims his first acting role growing up was as the charismatic Artful Dodger, the street-wise character in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, explaining, “When I did that production, I felt I had to be an actor, I have to do this. [laughs] And, in many ways, I’ve been playing the role of the Artful Dodger ever since then.”

Owen talks to us about his lifelong love of soccer (football), channeling Ernest Hemingway, and now playing Sam Spade.

What’s your abiding interest in the private detective character, Sam Spade?

I’m a huge fan of Bogey (Humphrey Bogart) and his portrayal of detective Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon movie. Spade was the classic noir detective and the prototype for the hard-boiled private detective. I actually have an original Maltese Falcon poster with Bogey’s unique face on it.

What’s the basic premise of Monsieur Spade, your new series?

I’d been a longtime fan of author Dashiell Hammett and especially his creation, the famous detective Sam Spade. So, it was a gift when writer/director Scott Frank asked me if I wanted to get onboard this new series. I didn’t have to be asked twice. Basically, “Monsieur” Spade has retired to France but a murder pulls him back into the world of shadows and crime.

How did your memorable turn in Croupier change your career?

I had to pull back from all the tabloid press about a very popular TV crime drama, Chancer, that I did in the UK. So, I looked for smaller indie film projects, and I did Croupier, which had a really small budget. It didn’t even get a proper release in the UK. But somehow it got some love in America, got a release and it became sort of a cult hit. My career turned on a dime.

How far did you immerse yourself in preparation to play Ernest Hemingway?

When I played Hemingway opposite Nicole Kidman (Hemingway & Gellhorn) I totally committed to the role. I put on weight, I immersed myself in all things Hemingway. I watched film footage and listened to audio to ingest his voice and cadence. I read everything I could about him, I read all he wrote. He was that kind of gonzo writer, he’d write, then drink copious amounts of booze. Then at the crack of dawn, he’d be up, and write for six hours or so straight through. So, I was looking for that sort of total commitment.

How deep is your love of all things Liverpool Football Club?

My non-acting love is Liverpool, I used to watch the Reds games on TV at a “Liverpool” fan bar in New York when filming The Knick. And I’d even get up for the early games, 6 or 7am in the morning Manhattan time. Today, my girls play soccer, so I kick around with them. And they’re both Liverpool fans as well, because of my not-so-gentle influence. But I’m a huge fan of the game and will watch it whenever and wherever I can.

You always wear wonderful suits, so where did your early influence come from?

Growing up, I remember watching Richard Gere in American Gigolo and being impressed by his sense of style—his suits, his coat, sports jackets and all. They say Richard became the face of a new world order for men’s fashion. For me, his clothes also made me aware of designer Giorgio Armani, his cut, and textures. To this day, I do love Armani suits.