Los Angeles ? Timothy Dalton thinks Paul Telfer should be the one being interviewed.

After all, Telfer got to play the title role in NBC’s movie “Hercules” while Dalton filled the part of the strong man’s humiliated stepdad, Amphitryon — hardly a character whose name resonates with the masses.

But Telfer’s a name that hardly resonates with the masses. Dalton was James Bond — in 1987’s “The Living Daylights” and 1989’s “Licence to Kill.”

A bit unsure about what he can find to say that’s interesting about Amphitryon, Dalton takes a noble stab at it. “I’m cuckolded by the god I suppose I worship, which is a pretty difficult situation if you think about,” he says, laughing.

That god is Zeus, who has a tryst with Amphitryon’s wife, Alcmene — the union that produced Hercules.

The three-hour movie based on the classic Greek legend airs at 7 p.m. Monday. Another lavish, special effects-enhanced production from Robert Halmi Sr., the saga also stars Elizabeth Perkins as Alcmene; Leelee Sobieski as Hercules’ lover, Deianeira; and Sean Astin as his music tutor and friend, Linus.

Dalton has worked for Halmi before — as Julius Caesar in “Cleopatra” and Rhett Butler in “Scarlett” — and his respect for the producer counted in his choice to play Amphitryon.

British actor Timothy Dalton plays Amphitryon in the television movie Hercules, which airs Monday. Dalton fills only a supporting role as the strong man's stepfather in the NBC Hallmark Entertainment movie based on the classic Greek legend.

Before taking on this project, the 59-year-old actor had only a superficial grasp of the Hercules legend.

“I thought it was just about a strong he-man. I didn’t realize it was quite a revolutionary story, too. The thing about the Jesus legend is it’s all about getting into a heaven outside earth. The Hercules legend is about finding, in a sense, heaven on earth by growing to your highest fulfillment.”

Dalton “keyed into this notion of fatherhood” as the hook to playing Amphitryon, describing how the character learns to love and support Hercules as though he were his own.

“He’s a perfectly decent, nice fellow. Not the sort of part I usually do. Miles outside my normal range,” he says, exploding with laughter.