Coincidence?

I've already started reading A Little History of the World, and the following snippet I found interesting, it's about the Roman Emperor Nero.

"People still shudder when they hear the name of this monster. But what is truly repellent about him is that he didn't start out as a monster - ruthless and wicked through and through. He was simply weak, vain, suspicious and lazy."

It also struck me that the actor who played Nero in the docu-drama Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire has also twice played Tony Blair in his acting career. Ok so you probably can't accuse Bliar of being lazy, I am being a touch harsh in that respect.