Some love him best as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in Downton Abbey. For others, it’s as Mr. Brown in the Paddington films. And then there are those who revere him as Douglas Bellowes, a respectable news anchor brought down by a sexist joke in the ITVX series Douglas Is Cancelled. But there’s no need to quibble—we’ll watch Hugh Bonneville in just about anything. Next up: he plays a police officer in The Gold, a crime drama that revisits Britain’s biggest gold heist of all time, which will air on Masterpiece on PBS this summer. And then, on September 12, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will arrive in theaters. But first: Bonneville shares his key components to the good life. —Ashley Baker
Airline: Where the welcome is genuine and your neighbor has mints.
Airport: Any airport where the wait for baggage to come through is shorter than the flight.
Bag: I spent months hunting for a replacement for my decaying, much-loved bag—big enough for a script, a laptop, and overnight stuff. And lo, as I was walking down the Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris one afternoon in 2014, through a shop window, a Berluti bag waved at me coquettishly. It was ludicrously expensive, but it’s been over my shoulder on every trip since, although it’s now looking as knackered as its owner.
Bedtime: Box breaths. I never get beyond the thir—…
Bike: As a kid I used to envy the boys in my street who had a Chopper, or its younger relative the Chipper. Long seat, handlebars like a Harley, usually with tassels flapping off the end. One year, as a birthday present, I was given a racing bike with drop handlebars. A Raleigh. Ten gears, built for serious cycling. I was not a serious cyclist. I accepted it with what little grace I could muster, as Dave Boris sped past on his purple reclining stallion. Nowadays, something electric, thank you very much.
Breakfast, weekend: Yogurt, mandarin, dates, granola, pomegranate. Splash of honey.
Car: I ditched my Tesla before it became fashionable to do so. Back in the 70s, I used to covet my aunt’s Triumph Stag. She looked effortlessly cool at the wheel. But then she sold it before I even passed my driving test. I was furious. So I transferred my affections to the Mercedes W113 SL—the Pagoda. If anyone has a spare one going cheap, I’m your man. I currently drive a VW Golf, and I keep being e-mailed that I could have a court case in my favor. Then again, the lawyer of a Nigerian prince keeps telling me I have money coming my way. What to do?
Child: One who replies to your text within a week.
