Hugh Bonneville's life changed overnight when his brother died "suddenly" in his sleep

He told The Independent newspaper: "My brother died suddenly in his sleep and so the next day, I went and bought the soft top convertible I'd always wanted.

"I planted the copper beech tree I'd been meaning to plant for 20 years. Because it made me realise just how utterly ... what's the word, roulette?

"How much of a roulette life is."

Bonneville sold the car a year later, but he continued with his campaign to make every moment "count".

He added: "That instinct had kicked in ... Try and make it count, try and make it matter, try and do it now ... I've got friends who've died and you think, we're only here once.

"We're not learning from the past about how we treat each other. Those tragedies rhyme throughout history. What can we do to make our final chapters positive in some way? ...

"Just to try to make things a little kinder, a little calmer, a little more generous - so that the next generation isn't full of despair."

Bonneville hit headlines last month when he urged the "international community" to intervene in Gaza when he was on the red carpet for the premiere of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale in London's Leicester Square.

Speaking to British broadcaster ITV about the beloved franchise coming to an end, he instead turned to the camera and said: "Before I talk about the fluff and loveliness of our wonderful film, what's about to happen in Gaza City is indefensible and the international community must do more to bring it to an end."

In his interview with The Independent, Bonneville admitted he felt "utterly blown away" by the positive reaction to his comments.

He told the publication: "I was utterly blown away and bowled over and humbled and astonished by the reaction that I got - literally thousands of people getting in touch, thanking me for saying something.

"I had no idea how voiceless most people feel, how scared most people are ... I'm no flipping hero or flag waver or anything ...

"I just don't like inhumanity when I see it. I have made no political comment about the rights and wrongs of the Middle Eastern situation other than the famine and the annihilation of a group of people who are being shot at like fish in a barrel.

"I just want to be part of something that can stop human suffering."