There's such a sense of theatre in getting glammed up; it's like putting on a play or short film.

My mother was in advertising and worked incredibly hard when she was bringing us up. She was a working mother and a working single parent. That instills in you a sense of determination.

I use SPF every day, then apply foundation, mascara, eyeliner and blusher. I always take my make-up off at night and moisturize.

I think good things come out of having tension with the people that you work with. You've got to be arguing in order to produce something interesting. If everyone's just agreeing with each other, you're not going to push the boundaries.

I always had a very strong sense of independence.

As a child, I always liked dressing up and getting into character, and actors are lucky in being able to retain that playfulness, though we do seem to find it hard to grow up.

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