TIMOTHY SPALL - SPALL: 'STRESS GAVE ME CANCER'

Movie star TIMOTHY SPALL is convinced stress was the cause of his cancer battle in 1996, and he has dramatically changed his mindset since recovering from the disease. The SECRETS AND LIES actor now refuses to worry unduly about anything, and ensures he organises himself properly in a bid to prevent panicking. He says, "I don't know what made me ill, but stress had something to do with it, and the point is now to head off stress at the pass. "It made me more aware of things and become more selective. I am less worried about employment. "I really do my homework so I am not stressed on the set because I don't know what I'm doing." And he admits coming through myeloid leukaemia has made him more sensitive to others. He adds, "It has given me a connection to what people who are having a really bad time go through. "It's made me, if not a better actor, then a lot more conscientious and with a lot more life experience to draw from."