The point about a great story is that it's got a beginning, a middle and end.

The directors you trust the most are the ones, when you ask them a question, they've got the guts to say, 'I don't know.'

When I am asked about influences, I always say I bow down to Fred Astaire, because when you look at him dancing you never look at his extremities, do you? You look at his centre. What you never see is the hours of work that went into the routines, you just see the breathtaking spirit and freedom.

I think every English actor is nervous of a Newcastle accent.

Mellow doesn't describe me. I'm hungry every day.

I do take my work seriously and the way to do that is not to take yourself too seriously.

Any actor who judges his character is a fool - for every role you play you've got to absorb that character's motives and justifications.