I've done a lot of films that have become iconic, not necessarily because of me.

We don't always get the kind of work we want, but we always have a choice of whether to do it with good grace or not.

I don't play long parts. They must be short parts, but they've got to be parts that mean something, that matter, where people will notice when I'm on the screen, and people will remember the character after they've seen the film.

I think acting is a mixture of instinct, imagination and inventiveness. All you can learn as an actor is basic technique.

Films are now made by accountants. They pick a pretty young female or male face out of the air and give them a part - not because they think that person is right for it or is ready for it, but because they think that person will make them money.

Peter Jackson's instincts are extraordinary, as is his stamina.

I've always acknowledged my debt to Hammer. I've always said I'm very grateful to them. They gave me this great opportunity, made me a well-known face all over the world for which I am profoundly grateful.