‘I’ve only ever been used to two things – funk and praise’: Eddie Marsan’s honest comedy | Edi Marsan

The first song I liked
When I was a little boy, we had a caravan on the Isle of Sheppey, and I remember hearing My Sweet Lord by George Harrison one summer. It’s about seeking God, and I always think how it goes from Hallelujah to Hare Krishna is so beautiful.

The first single I bought
Big Time by Rick James from Paul’s Music on Cambridge Heath Road in London. Even when I was young, I loved my funk. I have always loved only two things in life – pleasure and praise.

I can’t listen to that song anymore
Les Misérables was a huge hit at the school theater. I came from a publishing job, and there were all these blokes with rollnecks, hair tied back, singing about Javert. I thought: I can’t stand it. All in all, Les Miss makes me very angry.

The perfect song to play at a party
Candy by Cameo because it’s a fun line dance. Even if you can’t dance, you can just follow the person next to you.

The song I make at karaoke
I Just Want to Make Love to You by Etta James, because you’re probably pissed off at night, so you can sing or scream and you’ll be fine.

A song I secretly love, but tell everyone I hate it
Throughout my career, I have tried very hard to come across as knowledgeable and articulate rather than a good-looking cock. But I think Ain’t No Pleasing You by Chas & Dave is one of the best British songs of the last 50 years.

I know every word of this song
I’ve known every word to Guitar Man by Elvis Presley since I was a kid, even if the lyrics are really fast.

The best song to have sex with
Anything by Billie Holiday, really. But if my wife starts playing Strange Fruit, I have something to complain about.

The song that changed my life
I wasn’t very confident when I was younger, especially with girls. When I first heard Get Up (I Feel Like) A Sex Machine by James Brown, I remember thinking: I want to lose myself in this. I was able to escape my insecurities through dancing.

The song that wakes me up in the morning
For Me… Horror by Charles Aznavour makes me feel uplifted while I make my morning coffee.

A song that makes me cry
When we had our first child, I was moving to Virginia, and Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton, which he wrote when his son died, came on the radio. When you have a new baby, you are filled with new ideas. I didn’t realize the importance of the song until then.

The song I would like to be played at my funeral
Are You Happy? and Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra.

No Ordinary Heist is on Now and Sky Cinema on the 27th of June.