I decided a long time ago but sometimes it takes you 40 years to get around to doing something - and that's the truthful answer.

We're not allowed in the cutting room - and that's extraordinary. So, when a director is asking for certain nuances and colours and we feel that they're phoney, but we do it because the director asks for it, that's the one that they pick in the cutting room. And I contend that when you see a movie with bad acting, don't blame the actor... blame those guys in the cutting room because they like that take.

I feel cheated never being able to know what it's like to get pregnant, carry a child and breast-feed.

If you can get out there and say I'm going to...I'm willing to fail at what I feel is right, that's it.

In terms of the stars, the only ones I cast were Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins. I was in Los Angeles working and a lot of this took place on the telephone. I'd met Maggie [Smith] once and I'd come back-stage, which I'm usually loathe to do because as an actor you don't want people coming back because you want to get home [laughs].

It's true what they say about failure. You don't learn from success.

I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.