When I was 16, I made some little 35mm documentaries about the poor in London. I went round Notting Hill, which was a real slum in the 1950s, shooting film.

Deep inside, I am desperate to do comedy.

A successful swindler has to be a great salesman even more than a great actor.

I am very traditional as a man. I am not modern and never have been. I think I was born 50 years of age and out of my time.

In so many roles I've played the outsider. As an outsider, you have more energy to succeed simply because you are an outsider. There are scripts floating around but they're not coming my way and I think that I am getting a little bit too old to play Napoleon. But if I was ever offered the role I would grab it.

Although I'm a very emotional man, I just can't have blind faith, I have to find out for myself.

I think I've grown up in an era where character acting on film has become less desirable for the producers and directors and therefore the audience. They have got used to the people that those actors really are.