If I'd had fame early on, I'd have been able to abuse it in the way that a young man should.

That's something I have to work on: to separate what really matters, to conserve energy by not worrying about what other people think.

I did a lot of acting at school and university, then I went to drama school. It was quite a normal route.

I'm sort of focused on my long-term goal of carving out a career that's for life, rather than being a flash in the pan.

One of the best things about being an actor is that it's a meritocracy.

Honestly, it's very satisfying, and I'm very, very happy about how successful the last few years have been... It's great for the people who supported me early on to see the success I'm enjoying now.

The story [in 12 Years a Slave] serves as a metaphor for the fear of having your family taken away, and for being abused in such a horrific way. I lost it a lot of times watching that film, particularly when seeing the grace of the man when he finally makes it back home aged, changed, forever brutalized, and yet he apologizes to his family for his long absence. That was such a profoundly moving moment capturing the triumph of dignity over the disgraceful behavior of those involved in the slave trade.