There is, come to think of it, a kind of Judi Dench quality to McCain.

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.

I like fishing, I like painting; I like painting fish.

In all good westerns, the good guy is always a little bit questionable because he kind-of has to make moral judgments.

I'm obsessive enough about getting fit, it's ridiculous. I'm 40 now, and I've got to stop doing it soon. I have to start getting fat and old!

Good scripts are hard to find.

I've seen a lot in my life, and everybody goes down the dark, winding staircase eventually. It's a bad place to be and that's why having good friends is always essential. Those are the people who pull you out.