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

I would have loved to have been a painter or a sculptor. I'm still fascinated by those things.

I used to collect knick-knacks, like wizards, trolls and little buddhas, and arrange them like precious things on a shelf.

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

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.

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.

Dustin Hoffman also never does the same thing twice which is totally stimulating because you're always getting something new from him. You never really know what he's going to do next, so you have to be on your toes.