I genuinely was just such a fan of the books. When I heard that this was on the cards, I've got to do this; I've got to get involved with this. I'm such a Philip Pullman fan and actually his philosophies, morals and the way he looks at the world. He does what he does brilliantly as a writer. He writes children's stories with major adult themes and major ideas about making the right choices.

You need to impress me, outwit me, compete with me? Go ahead, knock yourself out, I have no problem with that at all.

Even the worst Bond movies, there's something to love about them.

I just wanted to play a cowboy for a long time.

I stopped worrying about being desired a long time ago.

I don't see the world in sexual divisions.

It's a huge challenge, a huge responsibility. Bond is a huge iconic figure in movie history. These opportunities don't come along very often so I thought, 'Why not?'