Interviewer: Alex McLeod (by the way, she's a double for Courtney Cox!)

Lots of smiles and laughter throughout the whole interview. In all the interviews I've seen him give, I've never known Christian either to smile so much or look totally relaxed and very happy in an interview! His eyes were so bright and sparkling, and he looked great! It was so nice to see him like this. When you finally see it on video (which hopefully won't be too long, as I have nearly finished the tape), you'll see what I mean.

Christian was dressed in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt (no tie).

Hard Rain posters in the background.

Codes: CS= Christian, AM=Alex McLeod, MD=Minnie Driver

CS: I'm ready! (smiling broadly)

AM: Okay, so Christian, what happens in Hard Rain?

CS: Ahh, well, its a..., its a..., its a heist movie, set against the backdrop of this incredible natural disaster. (constantly smiling)

Scenes from Hard Rain are shown.

AM: So, would you say its a crime thriller, or a natural disaster movie?

CS: I'd say its a crime natural thriller disaster! (still smiling broadly)

AM: So, you get two movies for the price of one?

CS: Yeah, you do, you get two movies for the price of one - what more could you ask for? 'Cos they charge a lot of money nowadays for movies, so we've got to start putting two in one - that was my feeling! (still smiling!)

AM: What's your character like in this movie?

CS: He's a good guy, but he's just not happy, and I think during the course of the film he discovers, you know, what he's all about, you know, and he becomes pretty much as pure as Evian! (Guess what? Yep, still smiling) More scenes from Hard Rain are shown.

MD: Who do I play? You know, I'm sorry to say that she's the bird of the film - once again! It isn't much of a character, but it's a really good film. It was really gruelling, the experience was kind of extraordinary, and I could never write it off. I mean, it was five months of my life, you know, and I would never be so crass as to kind of write it off as time ill-spent. It was just so fantastically hard. The cold and the beating on your head of rain machines is not just gentle pit-a-pat, singing in the rain style! There were times when I would just want to go under water and hold my breath, and come up when I had calmed down a little bit!

More scenes from Hard Rain are shown.

AM: Christian, you've played some sickos over the years! (Alex giggling)

CS: Yes! I have! (laughs a lot). I seem to do well with those! You know, I really have a good time ...

AM: You said it, not me ...

CS: Yeah! Hey! What do you want me to say? I mean, it's just the truth! (laughing and smiling) - it's good, it's cool.

AM: Well, Christian, my last question for you.

CS: Yes?

AM: You're known to your fans as being a really cool actor ...

CS: (laughingly sighing)

AM: Tell me, what's the coolest thing about being a successful Hollywood star?

CS: You know, I have no idea what the definition of cool really is, I mean, maybe I should look in the dictionary and find out, but I think it just means, like, cold! Erm..., so, er..., I don't know what cool is, I have no idea, absolutely no idea. It's a word someone created, that it's a label that gets attached to somebody and, God bless it, but I don't know the first thing about it!

AM: Well, I think you define it.

CS: Oh, thanks! Wow! Thank you. (followed by one of those confused looks of not sure whether that was a compliment or an insult! Hey, but he kept smiling!)

I know it was a fairly short interview, but I really enjoyed it, and they showed other bits of it over the credits, so I'm going to write off to them to find out whether these will ever be televised, or whether a transcipt of the whole interview is available. I'll let you know if and what I hear back from them. I really hope you enjoyed reading it, but I have to say, that once you have seen it, you will know what I mean about how happy he seemed!

- Belinda Burnand