Spooks star is a chip off the old block

Feb 24 2008 by Catherine Evans, Wales On Sunday

EX-SPOOKS star Rupert Penry-Jones’ mum says her son has a fiery temper – just like her.

The 37-year-old from Anglesey – who played the role of MI5 agent Adam in the spy-based drama – had a huge row with his actress mum Angela Thorne whilst holidaying in France.

Angela, 69, married to actor Peter Penry-Jones, said: “Rupert is very passionate. We’re very alike in so many ways and that can be quite tricky sometimes. People like Rupert enormously, but I think some find him a little bit challenging – a bit like me. He can be quite hard-headed about what he wants.

“We were in the south of France and Rupert was talking about the profession in a rather arrogant way. I got very cross with him,” she added.

“I don’t think it was entirely his fault. I just thought he was behaving rather badly. I can’t tell you exactly what it was because it’s private, but I did tell him a few home truths, that I thought he’d become rather an effort to live with – and he didn’t like it one bit. Then I stomped off into the forest and didn’t come back for three hours. He and his father went bananas looking for me!”

And a bemused Angela can’t understand her boy’s sex symbol status.

“I was going through some of the cuttings the other night and I came across this thing saying Rupert was the handsomest man in Britain,” she said.

“I said: ‘Good God, what rubbish’. Of course, I think he’s special. He was a beautiful baby and always laughing, so he was a joy. But he was hyperactive; exhausting really. He still is. He always has to be on the go doing something. He doesn’t find it easy to relax.”

Angela remembers Rupert – who is now married to actress Dervla Kirwan and has two children, Florence, three, and Alice, one – was already a hit with the ladies in his early teens.

“I did something that I thought I’d never do – I gave him his own space. He had his own bedroom at the top of the house and he used to go up there with girlfriends.

“I don’t know what they got up to, I never asked. Even now, Rupert has to have his own corner, otherwise he’d just go insane.”