My five favourite bars...Jason Priestley

Jason Priestley stole the hearts of a generation of teenage girls when he starred as Brandon in Beverley Hills 90210. Now 30, he is taking life a little more seriously and recently made his London West End debut in the play Sideman. His next role will be in the film Eye of the Beholder alongside Ewan McGregor, which goes on national release from 9 June.

Jason Priestley stole the hearts of a generation of teenage girls when he starred as Brandon in Beverley Hills 90210. Now 30, he is taking life a little more seriously and recently made his London West End debut in the play Sideman. His next role will be in the film Eye of the Beholder alongside Ewan McGregor, which goes on national release from 9 June.

Ballantines 432 Richard, Vancouver, Canada (tel: 001 604 6092700)

This bar is an eclectic place. It's built in a converted bank and still has the old vaults, but the bar counter is something else. To make it they cast the bodies of 25 naked women from thigh to neck and made busts out of translucent glass beads. These are lit from the back and make the place look really groovy. This is my favourite bar in Vancouver and it's owned by some friends of mine so I always head down there whenever I'm in town. They do great martinis and have a wonderful wine list.

Courtnall's 118 Robson Street, Vancouver, Canada (tel: 001 604 6837060)

Being a huge ice hockey fan goes with the territory when you're Canadian. I used to play pretty competitively, and spent my fair share of time in the penalty box, but my dreams of turning pro were dashed by the fact that I simply wasn't good enough. So now I watch all the National Hockey League games at this sports bar. It's owned by two hockey-playing brothers, Ross and Jeff Courtnall and as you'd expect for a sports bar, its beer selection is pretty impressive. Sadly, it doesn't sell Budvar, which is the beer I've been enjoying when I'm over in London - it's not found in North America at all.

Sway 84 E7th Street, New York (tel: 001 212 5050490)

This is my favourite place to head to in downtown New York, mainly due to its Moroccan vibe. It plays some very groovy funky Seventies music which is great, the only problem being that you can't dance because the place doesn't have a cabaret licence. It's not really a celeb bar. You get the odd one, but the people there are mostly an interesting mixture of artists and writers. You won't see many suits.

Whisky Blue Bar W Hotel, 541 Lexington Avenue, New York (tel: 001 212 7551200)

You can just sink into the big velvet booths at the Whisky Blue. This is what I call a smart place, very clean and luxurious with lots of mahogany. I've been going there ever since the W Hotel opened about two years ago. Despite being downtown it's popular with Wall Street types and professional people, who all come to drink whisky. Naturally. I do enjoy my regular drinking haunts, but I also like having the chance to check out new places.

Soho House 40 Greek St, London (tel: 020 7734 5188)

I haven't seen a lot of London nightlife really. But what I have seen so far is fantastic. I love the weird different vibes of Soho House (which is membership only). It's all broken up into masses of rooms. Traditional pubs just don't seem to happen with me - something to do with being in a play every night, I expect. When you come off stage you do need time to unwind and relax, but you know, I tend to go and do that at home. I'm not the Hollywood bad boy I'm made out to be.