If I had to choose one of Britain’s main national characteristics, I guess it would be self-deprecation — particularly when it comes to talking about the country itself. But I have to say it really does seem one of the greatest places on earth.

I’ve been to Britain a few times before — in 1991 I filmed Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest — but I hadn’t really thought of moving here until five months ago, when I came to work on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, first in Edinburgh, now in London at the Gielgud theatre (till the 20th January). Since starting the show my family and I have become genuinely excited about the possibility of moving to Britain. We’ve even begun looking for a house (albeit haphazardly). We’ve fallen in love with the place.

Before I arrived I was warned about British reserve. American friends said people over here just weren’t as gregarious as Americans tend to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not to be the case. People here have been warm, welcoming and enthusiastic.

I haven’t experienced any serious anti-American feeling. People discuss the war a lot, but it doesn’t seem like they’re opposed to Americans in general: perhaps just the current administration.

There’s a different sense of humour in Britain, too, one that pivots around the ridiculous. Most of the cast in Cuckoo’s Nest are comedians, and I also worked with a lot of well-known British comics on a recent film, Churchill: the Hollywood Years. There are a lot I admire — Mackenzie Crook, Vic and Bob, and Harry Enfield for instance — but my very favourite has to be Leslie Phillips. That man is just brilliant, and underrated.

There has been a minor American invasion of these shores — Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna, Gillian Anderson etc — but, contrary to popular suspicion, I can’t say that we hang out together. I mean, the possibility is always there, and it’s one I’d like, but we haven’t yet had a secret meeting where we’ve discussed our plans for world domination. If we did there’s no doubt that Madonna would be our leader.

One of the things that puts some actors off London is the paparazzi, but I’ve found those guys surprisingly protective. I was coming out of a restaurant recently with my wife, and one of them took me aside and told me to be careful — he pointed out a guy nearby on a motorbike and said that he’d heard he planned to follow us. That was a little creepy, and he was right. I still don’t know if it was another paparazzi or an assassin, but I’m very glad I was warned about it.

I like the fact that there’s no gun culture here but I don’t necessarily feel safer. There’s a frisson in London that’s similar to Los Angeles or New York, a sense that something might happen at any moment, and I really appreciate that. If I was moving for safety’s sake, I’d head for somewhere like Vancouver, but I enjoy living in a country that’s a bit raw. In America there’s a real sense of danger right now, a sense that lightning might strike at any time; it’s not attractive. I prefer the edginess I find in London.

Even given a few concerns about safety, this is a great place for kids to grow up. I have two — a son, Jaden, who’s five, and a daughter, Eliana, who’s three — and I’d like them to have as much exposure as possible to Britain, and to Europe. It’s a culture you carry with you throughout your life and it gives you an appreciation for the more intellectual side of life. Eliana has started picking up a slight British accent on some words, so she’s really integrating well.

In London my kids experience a sense of history that’s impossible to find in California. Walking along any street, you can feel the history practically saturating the pavement. Maybe you’d feel a hint of that in LA if anyone ever walked. But they don’t. Everybody drives, and that gives the place a very different feel. You end up spending a lot more time by yourself in this hermetically sealed environment, rather than being out on the streets meeting people.

Here the traffic seems much more haphazard — I can understand why people bitch about it. It’s incredibly crowded and sometimes impossible to get anywhere fast. I was taking a cab to the theatre today, we got stuck along the way, and I had to get out and run. When I have time to cruise around town I tend to opt for rickshaws. It’s a fine way to travel.

Although I’ve lived in LA for a long while, my childhood was spent in New York and I think that makes adapting to British life a little easier. Growing up, I was fascinated by the New York theatre — my father was an actor and he used to take me backstage. There’s a similar culture here and an appreciation for the higher things in life.

One of the differences that I’ve noticed, though, is that there seems to be a much younger audience here than in New York. The theatre seems much more accessible, both financially and culturally.

Another consequence of coming from New York is that there’s less temptation to bitch about the British weather, and if anything I think London’s a little warmer. That said, I do sometimes miss the LA sunshine.

What I really like about London, is the authenticity here. That applies to the people, as much as the culture. I’ve seen some very well put together British women, don’t get me wrong, but generally the women here seem to be more upfront and authentic than they do in LA. There, any natural beauty, physical or otherwise, tends to get muddied over with a certain gloss.

I can’t imagine taking on a British accent, like Madonna has, or getting involved with traditional sports like hunting, shooting and fishing. I’m pretty happy with who I am, so I’m not looking to make a dramatic shift into “becoming British” or aristocratic. I’m excited about moving here, though, so, in the long run, who knows? Perhaps when that finally happens I might just stretch to a tweed jacket . . .

Christian Slater was talking to Kira Cochrane