Belfast during the Troubles looked like a different world.

Parenthood and family come first for me, and when I'm not working I'm cool with the Teletubbies.

When you're doing those operation scenes, you not only have to be on top of the dialogue and the rhythm of the dialogue and what's happening dramatically, but you've got to technically get the rhythm right, so that everything is fitting with the dialogue at the right time. And you're performing the operation to the audience that's watching it. Thackery has to present it, as well. In some ways, that's the most challenging.

I treat any scene the same - dialogue, action - you're still creating something in character. It's all acting, fighting.

After drama school I did a seven-month tour of Europe performing in 'Romeo and Juliet.' I played Romeo.

I'm always very aware of the physical challenges of work. I train much more than I did when I was in my twenties, and I've done some very physical films, and I always get properly prepared for them and get as fit as I can.

You go back to those films of the '40s and '50s and hear the dialogue, the way the people played off each other, the wordplay. I think we've really lost that in movies.