No enigma about Tom Adams

Press, 10 November 1981, Page 23

No enigma about Tom Adams

Tom Adams is making his mark as Detective Inspector Nick Lewis in “The Enigma Files.” Tom stars as the cool, impeccably-dressed chief of the Prisoners’ Property Office, storehouse of files on unsolved crimes, who tries to crack cases which have baffled detectives for years. He says: “I won’t be getting involved in punch-ups and throwing people all over the place. In this series, detectives actually solve crimes by deduction, and without calling everyone guv’nor!” Nick Lewis is divorced, but Tom, a Cockney, has never been married, and intends to keep things that way — certainly for the immediate future. . “There are plenty of women around,” he said. “So why should I marry one?” ‘ r l don’t need somebody to cook my meals after a hard day’s, work, as though I was driving a lorry,' like my father. “I’m a loner, quite content with my own company. I don’t mind doing my own shopping, cooking and ironing. I do like beautiful women! But I hate women who make a lot of noise.” Although Tom has a wellestablished bachelor flat in London, he’s seriously thinking about the day when he will set up a permanent home in a little place in the country, where he can pursue his hobbies of cycling and cricket. “The great thing about being single, is that you can do what you want whenever you want,” he said. “But it would be foolish of me to claim that I’ve never yet met the right woman. “I think that I have, because twice I’ve been very close to getting married, but I’ve walked away from it on both occasions.”

His future seems bright enough with “The Enigma Files,” because, as Tom explains: “It’s the first time my name has been above the title!

“I put myself out to be reasonable and helpful while we were making it. “What happens with some so-called stars is that they turn up late, demand cars, want to change the script. . . and then there are big discussions for two or three hours while they throw their weight about. “I’ve known actors who have hit the big time and the g first thing they do is to leave their wives and set up a luxury flat. “Seven months later, they’re out on their ear, because nobody wants to know them. “Acting’s a hard, difficult life,” said Tom. “Which is probably the reason why I’ve never settled down to marriage. “I’ve never wanted to say

to anybody: ‘You’re not going to eat this week’, . . or have to tell kids: ‘l’m sorry, but you can’t have any Christmas presents, because I haven’t any money’. “Marriage— or even settling down with somebody — is an important matter.” Tom is unlikely to let his success go to his head. “I’ve seen too many people hurt in this business,” he said. “It’s such an uncertain life that it’s easy to get carried away with a successful series, drink too much, live too well — and in the end you get a guy who’s burned out by the time he’s 40. “Those years between 40 and 55 should be your best years if you’ve looked after yourself, started off with talent, and picked up experience along the way.”.