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 was quite a shy child – not chronically, but I tended to blend into the background.

I don't think anyone can walk through the world in a state of vulnerability all the time, can they?

I do get stopped on the street, although rarely. And they always have something lovely to say.

The most amazing thing is when you find yourself watching someone in the café or something doing something weird. It's amazing what people do, isn't it, when you just look at them, when you take the time to look.

In film, I find it very useful always to do some preparation before you start rehearsals or start shooting, because there's so much that's against you on a film set.

My favorite Bond films are the really early ones, the first ones in fact, like 'Dr. No' and 'From Russia with Love.'