It's an unfair comparison because when things are developed in the UK, they're developed at script stage only.

You have to go where the good writing is.

It's good to be busy on a film set because there is a lot of sitting around, so if you've got two roles to play at one time, then that's great to do.

You never know when you're taking a job, ever... but you try to take good scripts. That's all you can do as an actor - take the best thing available. Even then, it's not [really] in your control. Certainly not in film and TV, because there are so many other elements. You just have to take control of your own performance.

A cricket ball broke my nose when I was a kid so I couldn't breath through it. Before I had it operated on I used to stand on stage with my mouth slightly open.

The best shows succeed because they tap into a national conversation.

For me the rehearsal period is the part I most enjoy. It's the creating of the story.