When you have a character to work with, you carry them around in a strange way - they make you look at the world in a different way.

I think being very thin has had a lot to do with how I've been cast.

The thing I love about acting is that you can bring something very personal into the open and at the same time remain hidden because you're always playing a character in a story that someone else has imagined. You're always protected.

I don’t think that actors are necessarily any more uncomfortable in their skin than anyone else. I suppose I feel more comfortable in my skin now, but you’re always playing a character, aren’t you? You tell different versions of yourself to different people and vice versa. Here, or in the photo shoot or wherever, it’s a representation of you. It’s not you-you. That’s how you get through it.

Filmmakers tell stories to explore human nature, which is always a flawed thing.

Dustin Hoffman takes such pleasure in what he does and there's nothing tense about him. He exudes joy and passion for what he's doing and that infects everyone. It certainly put me at ease coming to work with him every day. I felt his confidence and freedom rubbed off. He doesn't censor himself or stop an idea because he thinks it might be wrong.

What I notice about people who are gifted in filmmaking is that they're great thinkers. They engage with big ideas and they engage with people.