"In playing Gould I drew on that blankness, that inexpressiveness. I think it's essential to the man. And actually I was given a lot more to say than Gould has in Conrad's book.

I'm skeptical of anyone who says they've read the novel, it's a tough read. Conrad has no sense of humor, but our production does, a little. I even got to smile. You see, we're not making the book. As much as anything, we're digging the adventure story out of the book."

So did Nostromo's stew of international acting styles - English, American, French, Italian, Colombian - mesh or clash on set?

"I had a Method training in an English drama school, and I have a lot of respect for it. There is something to be said for getting the character inside here, inside you, first. Often English actors are just expected to be good troopers, no matter how much noise is going on, like it doesn't matter if we have no rehearsal, like it doesn't matter how many people are walking through or if the performance stinks - let's just get on with it, let's impress the crew. And there are some American actors who just want to hit their mark and get it done."

"I think Conrad idealized women. He treats them with a certain distance and respect. Only Emilia (Serena Scott Thomas) truly maintains her humanity. She's terrified of the way her husband is going. Partly because of Serena's performance I think we bring Emilia to the fore a little bit more."

Still, at the close of Nostromo imaginary Costaguana remains morally and ethically troubled, as tragedy strikes several families and several pairs of lovers with questionable justice done.

"You know one of the greatest artifices that exists in drama is the giving of answers to things, answers that don't exist, solutions that aren't in people's minds. But that's disingenuous. Yes, a lot of questions at the start of Nostromo are even bigger at the end. But I think that's appropriate. That is just the kind of drama I believe in". [Orange County Register, January 2, 1997]

Nostromo is not light material; an Everest for me to read because there's a heaviness to the writing and nonaccessible sense of humour, but worth it because I was haunted by the book afterwards and still am.

I didn't understand Charles at first. He doesn't have the normal, identifiable vulgar motives which drive an industrialist - glory, wealth and power. I tried to discover what it is in me that identifies with him. I've been obsessed enough with work to throw myself headlong into it at the expense of anything else, but I came to the conclusion he had a rather warped romantic dream, quite contrary to his wife's belief that he was rigorously practical and unsentimental. I had doubts about the part, but took it because I wanted to find out more about him. It was a huge curiosity.

I knew going to Colombia for so long would be a life-changing experience, and it certainly was. I made new friends and relationships which will stay for life. [Radio Times, February 1997]

PAL and NTSC format video available. In the United States you can order the 6 hour video set and a companion book from WGBH, P.O. Box 2284 South Burlington, VT 05407, USA.

Penguin Audiobooks has an official tie-in to the four-part TV series. Read by Michael Pennington. 4 cassettes/ 6 hours. [ISBN 0-14-086247-1]