I became an actor by accident.

Acting is a bit like being an athlete. You spend all your time getting ready to do something for two minutes. All the things that made my career in the movies happen took two or three minutes, which is the time that it takes for a 'take'. In that time, something happens. That's what people know you for, just like someone running the hundred metres.

There's something dangerous about what's funny. Jarring and disconcerting. There is a connection between funny and scary.

Obvious things like The Deer Hunter. After that happened, the scripts got better. Opportunities happened.

It's impossible for me to play a part without thinking about the audience.

It's interesting - a lot of good actors are good mimes. But I'm terrible. If I tried to do an impression, nobody would know what I was doing.

As an actor I'm rather hit and miss, I throw a lot out there, and some of it works and some of it doesn't. But this is a nice part.