Glasgow-born actor Douglas Henshall is best known for his TV work on Lipstick on Your Collar, Psychos, and Anna Karenina. He's also appeared on the big screen, though, in the likes of "Orphans" and "This Year's Love". Now he stars in the acclaimed British comedy/drama "The Lawless Heart"...

The film shows the same events from three different characters' perspectives. Was there any room for improvisation?

We had too little time and too little money for any of that. Also, it was very, very complicated to remember where you were at any one time. You're always arsed about when you make a film, but this was really difficult to get your head around. I was like, "I have no idea where we are. I'm just going to leave that up to you, the directors." They [Neil Hunter, Tom Hunsinger] dealt with it really well.

You've said the film is more European than British in feel. Is that how it always read to you?

No. When we were making it, I thought, This could be the biggest piece of nonsense I've ever seen! When I saw it, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a simple story told really well, and that seems to me what the best European cinema's about.

You took up gambling to prepare for David Mamet's "American Buffalo" a few years ago. Did you do any research for "The Lawless Heart"?

I was on holiday in Miami just before we started, which I tried to justify by thinking, My character's been travelling and seen a lot of places. Sometimes you don't need to do any research.

Your CV suggests an attraction for troubled or dangerous types...

I've always just been attracted to people that I think are, intrinsically, human. And I think one of the things that marks you down as being human is your flaws. I'm much more interested in people's faults, because that's what makes you like people. Well, it does me. I wouldn't want to spend five minutes with a perfect person, they'd bore me witless.