It's nice to play someone who is naive.

If you're very open to watching the world go by, with people's different tics, you absorb it all without realizing it and find ways to put something into your character. I'm not sure I'm always aware I'm mimicking someone.

It's very hard to play the straight lead girl and still make her sparkly and fun and real.

I'm such a diva on set.

If you can capture the humanity of a family struggling in an economic crisis you can make a difference. You can raise awareness just of the simple humanity.

Cate's absolutely spellbinding. She was like that just eating a sandwich. I knew at the time I was privileged, but since she's become God's gift to actresses I realise exactly how lucky I was.

A lot of period dramas can appear quite arch to most people, stuffy.