Izard hits the big top

I've always been a huge film nut, and now I'm crowbarring my way into movies. I'm not there yet but I'll keep relentlessly banging on until I am. Stand-up is pretty arduous - there's a lot of travelling involved - and I've found I do less of it the more I get into films.

When I'm on screen I try and be as interesting as possible, so that someone might say, "You did quite well in that small role, we'll give you nine lines in this next film." It's all about the number of lines you have.

This new film, Circus, is like Pulp Fiction crossed with The Long Good Friday. I used to say it was Pulp Fiction crossed with Zulu, but that wasn't true. It's a great script by Dave Logan. I play a character called Troy who is pursuing a conman played by John Hannah for some money he's owed. Originally I wanted John Hannah's part, but John had that, so Troy seemed stupid enough, and psychotic enough, for me to do.

I'm going through the psychotic-villain phase in my career. You know that British thing, about going to Hollywood and playing a villain? I like that, because they're fun roles. And also it's easier to come in on the wave of playing either a butler or a villain. I'm drawn to the villainous side, because there are real parallels with comedy.

When you go on stage, it's a bit of a lion's den, particularly if someone gets up and heckles you. That's the verbal equivalent of a duel - if they shout at you, you shout back and destroy them. You have to save face. I think there's a real link between the psychotic nature of comedy, those extreme twists you make in comedy, and some of these psychotic characters that I'm being asked to play.