I had a non-existent knowledge of Queen Victoria's early years. Like everyone else, I thought of her as an old lady dressed in black. My mom had told me about her, though, that she had a very loving relationship with Albert, that they had lots of kids, and that he died young.

To not make any resolutions. Whenever I make them, I wind up ultimately breaking them. I think a lot of people are that way, so I am going to try and avoid inevitable disappointment next year and just not make any.

I love character roles. I'm happier in them. I look for roles that have some kind of complexity.

People quit on jobs. They quit on marriages. They quit on school. There's an immediacy of this day and age that doesn't lend itself to being committed to anything.

Americans are a lot more open, of course. There's something more declamatory in the way you express emotions. It's a stereotype but it's true. British people can appear repressed in expressing emotions. Not very good at self-evaluating, or affirming situations, touching, anything like that.

I do try hard to pick roles that differ. I love that about the job. I think the variety that's out there is to be taken advantage of and I enjoy that element of shape shifting with everything.

I find that it really helps that I live in the States. I'm married to an American, and I have lots of American friends.