by: Rosemary Sorensen
His is a famous face but it's done more for Michael Crawford when covered up.
The actor/singer who stamped the role as the Phantom of the Opera with his own style said yesterday he "literally takes every day as it comes", keeping fit for the next surprise life offers.
And his life has not been short of surprises, even from the very start. Crawford was in Brisbane at the start of an Australian tour to promote his autobiography, Parcel Arrived Safely: Tied With String.
The title refers to a coded telegram sent to announce his birth as an "illegitimate" child.
Writing his autobiography gave the actor the chance to explore what he called a feeling of shame left over from his childhood.
While the most talked about part of the book may be the breakdown of his marriage following his infidelities, he says it's his mother and grandmother who are the "stars".
Crawford grew up believing his mother's first husband, who died in World War II, was his father but discovered he was the result of a brief affair after that death.
"By being able to write it, about the courage of my mother and about my grandmother's love, I changed.
"When I started writing 10 years ago, I wasn't the person I am now. It's enabled me to finish the book and not feel the shame of my birth."
Despite having to purge that pain, a fit and characteristically bright-eyed, smiling Crawford said he had had a wonderful time writing the story of his life.
"Especially in this last year, I've really enjoyed it. It's made me appreciative of writers. I judged whether it was working by reading it out loud and if it made me laugh then I know it works. I wanted to build a picture of the idiot I was."
Crawford also talked about the Phantom's mask he wore in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ultra-successful musical, which he said was his licence to create a whole new persona.
"There was no preconceived notion of me, who I was, so I could become this romantic character, the heavily melodramatic character audiences find so sensual."
Since his best-known role before that was as daffy Frank Spencer, husband of the long-suffering Betty, in the television series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, the Phantom role was both an enormous change and an enormous success.
Crawford will be promoting his book at Myer Bookshop in Brisbane City today at noon.