One wonders what other dark characters Hinds might have been well-suited for in his career, but his next big role as the brother of Professor Dumbledore in the final two Harry Potter films offers up the possibility that he could have played quite a wonderful Severus Snape.

“Oh yeah!” he laughs, adding quickly, “But Alan Rickman's great as him.”

“It would have been nice to be asked earlier — I would have been a few bob richer!” he laughs.

As it is he will be buried under layers of prosthetic make-up to play the eminent Hogwarts headmaster's younger brother Aberforth.

“I disappeared, as I was unrecognisable,” he says.

“I won't have any trouble in the street doing my shopping as usual because no-one knows who was in there because of the amazing make-up job that they did.

“I went up to introduce myself to the actress Miriam Margolyes on-set and she looked at me in this costume and make-up and said: “Well, anybody could have played your part!”