I think that when [Charles] Dickens met Nelly [Ternan] it unleashed this sort of carnal, anarchic, cruel energy within him, and literally after she met him he changed his whole life - he separated from [his wife] Catherine, he stopped all the children from seeing her and went on this bitter rampage.

I'm a real geek. I love spending time researching a character and reading about them.

The key is working with great directors. A film is so many different people and all their talents, but particularly the directors, because of the idiosyncrasies of that person.

But since doing the film ["The Invisible Woman"] I've really learned to appreciate [Charles Dickens], he's phenomenal. "Great Expectations" would be one of my favorites.

I don't like when I look too cluttered.

The British vice is overthinking before we speak, which is really annoying. I love the way that, in America, people are more straightforward.

I think in every character there are aspects of yourself that you bring to it. But then it would be really boring to just play yourself.