I enjoyed being in that costume - who wouldn't? 
British actor Ian Holm recently celebrated 50 years in the profession, during which he has enjoyed success on stage, television, and on the cinema screen. RADA trained, Holm didn't make his movie debut until the late 60s, the highlights on his CV including Alien, Chariots Of Fire, Dreamchild, The Madness Of King George, and The Sweet Hereafter. The Emperor's New Clothes is his third portrayal of Napoleon, after Napoleon And Love on television and Time Bandits in film.
Can you cast your mind back to making The Emperor's New Clothes, as it seems to have been around for quite a while?
It's strange because one obviously has done other things. I think the delay was due to the collapse of FilmFour. I actually did this before starting The Lord Of The Rings. But it's a sweet little film, and what makes it interesting are these ordinary events happening to a great man. I enjoyed doing it enormously.
Is the challenge of a period movie, with all the set dressing and fine costumes, one that you respond to particularly?
I enjoyed being in that costume - who wouldn't? Except there were only a couple of occasions when he actually appears as Napoleon. I did have some problems, though. They dyed my hair, which was a terrible mistake. There was also the issue of the bald patch. The hair people said it was no problem, but of course the first thing I saw when I watched the film is that sometimes it's painted in and other times there's a huge great bald patch.
You've appeared in dozens of films over the years. How would you rate the experience of headlining a movie like this?
It was tremendously hard work. We started filming on my 69th birthday, and it was a 47 day shot of which I worked 46 days. We were shooting in Rome, on the coast, all over the place. This was really my first experience of carrying a film, even though it is quite a small story. But I think it worked. It's a sweet film.
You were knighted in 1998. Has this changed your life in any way?
It's useful for getting tables in restaurants, but I don't - not like other people who shall be nameless - insist on being called 'Sir' all the time. It's good because in different professions, successful people know perfectly well that if they play their cards right they'll get a gong of some description at the end of it. But, as a rule, actors don't, so of course it's quite nice to be awarded something.
You've also just finished your first bona fide Hollywood movie, The Aviator, for Martin Scorsese...
To be in the presence of a man like Marty - who has so much energy, power, and passion - is wonderful. I've also really gotten to like Leonardo DiCaprio. He's a charming, bright young man who is dealing with his success very well. I play a meteorologist called Professor Fitz. I'm just camping around, really, but of course Scorsese is the greatest film buff there's ever been, and I spoke to him about an old character actor called SK 'Cuddles' Sakall - he was in Casablanca - and he said I should give it a try. So that's how I'm playing it.
