Those moments when you don't feel self-conscious, when you escape that, are when you produce something meaningful.

I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback [in "The Invisible Woman"]. Ralph [Fiennes] was very open to my input, I think knowing that he couldn't always be there 100 percent, that he had dual aims with directing and acting.

I've always been a feminist, and what I love in my work is being able to explore a full-sided woman and not patronize her.

I think that when something happens when you're growing up, like a death or divorce, it does open the world slightly because things aren't as straightforward.

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

My most treasured item is the brown leather bag that my mum bought me from a little Italian shop for my 21st. It's supposed to be a vanity bag, but I use it as a handbag.

I always hope for roles that have some depth and that I can get my teeth into and that will challenge me, in some way.