Mathew Horne has always tried to be as 'authentic as possible' with his role in Gavin and Stacey

Mathew Horne has always tried to be as "authentic as possible" with his role in 'Gavin and Stacey'.

The 46-year-old actor was thrilled to be cast as Gavin Shipman in the hit BBC comedy - which will be returning on Christmas Day for the much-anticipated finale - in 2007 alongside James Corden and while it was a "big turning point" for him, he was then surprised when strangers would approach him assuming he was his character.

He told The Saturday Guardian magazine: "Joining the cast of 'Gavin and Stacey' was a big turning point in my life. At first I found it really strange when people would approach me and confuse the character of Gavin with who I am in real life. But after a while, I realised I had done my job; the Essex characters in particular are meant to be quite naturalistic, and I had made Gavin as authentic as possible. Being on the show was, and still is, an absolute gift.

"When I got the job, I called James Corden to say thank you. I'd always been a fan of his, from watching him on the telly and on Broadway. We spoke for about an hour that day, and I knew straight away that there was the foundation of a good friendship and a lot of love."

At the time he was cast, the former 'Catherine Tate Show' star had faced a negative reaction to his film 'Lesbian Vampire Killers' and admitted that while that took its toll on him " both emotionally and physically", he is "grateful" that he has experienced both highs and lows in his career.

He said: "In 2009 [after the backlash against Horne and Cordon's comedy horror film Lesbian Vampire Killers], I experienced a total character decimation in the press. Being in the eye of the storm was chaotic, both emotionally and physically. Very overwhelming, incredibly anxiety- inducing, and really hurtful. I'm only human. Skin can only grow so thick. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, the response was horrible and upset me. I had to hold on very tight to weather that storm.

"While it was awful, I am so grateful that I have experienced both ends of the spectrum. My CV has seen the good and the bad, the highs of the reception to 'Gavin and Stacey' and the lows of that year. It taught me that nobody knows for sure if a project is going to be a success, and that has allowed me to have a bit more peace with the direction of my career, because nothing is in my control. All I can do is my very best in whatever job I'm blessed to be offered."