Doing a film and saying, I've done a really dark film and now I have to do a comedy... That's not me. If a script comes along and it's dark I'll absolutely do it and take the consequences. I'm not fussed about the image that goes along with it.

I find it very easy playing Bond. I think he's hilarious. He gets himself into some extraordinarily funny situations.

I guess you could say I've been in my share of violent movies.

Every movie I get involved with I get involved in as big a level as I possibly can, but this has been a very much more personal journey for me, so bringing it here tonight there's a sense of relief, there's a sense of just amazement that got here... because it's been a struggle. But this is a good way to launch it and there couldn't be a better way of celebrating this movie than bringing it to the West End.

When you read a novel, your own imagery is the most important. It's what makes reading such a wonderful thing.

Action movies live and die by the story that you're trying to tell. It's hard. It's very difficult to do an action movie that stays engaging.

I watched every single Bond movie three or four times, taking in everything I could about how the character had been portrayed in the past, then threw all that away once I started doing the role.