Having been in Hollywood as a shadow, as someone who is almost invisible, I can see fame for what it is.

I love playing strong feisty women, I really do, but if you were to ask my husband he'd probably say that I'm very insecure. And actually incredibly malleable, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

I think if you live in London, it's such a cosmopolitan city, nobody even notices different-race relationships. I assumed it would be even more liberal in the States, and it's totally the opposite.

Californians don't have that marvelous British cynicism, but then the British can be so patronizing at times.

I don't think my looks are modern. I always imagined I'd end up doing Chekhov, Ibsen and Shakespeare all my life and never play a contemporary character.

I didn't have any qualms. I'm used to taking my clothes off in front of strangers. I've done it since I was 14 - with my mother's adult education art classes. She liked to paint and I went along as a life model.

Even when I was at school, I wanted to be liked by everyone, even the bullies. I didn't like them, but I needed to know that they liked me.