The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.

I want to be able to play trailer-bound fatties in a Judd Apatow comedy.

I've said for quite a long time I'd like him to have a different haircut. I quite like my hair being short. You know, we've been away two years, let's f*** around with his outfit, let's f*** around with his haircut, let's do something different.

Landing the role of Stephen Hawking was the most positively surprising thing that has happened to me.

There's still nearly the same amount of slavery, if not more, in the world today, as there was at the height of the slave trade.

I don't want to miss things.

I'm always keen to use my body in my work, so I'm looking forward to the motion capture for Smaug. Both Gollum and King Kong were primates, whereas I'm playing a serpent, so it'll be interesting - I'll have to tie my legs together, possibly, or else they'll be kind of splayed out to the side as a reptile's should be.