Everything is about class in England, whether it's upper, lower or middle. Why should that be?

Exposure makes you famous, not just good work. Famous is being plastered everywhere.

My parents were hugely supportive like that. I was always the best - it's so embarrassing, isn't it? I was always the best at everything.

When I was starting out, young actresses had the studio system to protect them. Now you have a host of sharks, from your agent to your publicist to your lawyer.

I maintain the rather old-fashioned view that this is my work and it's in the public arena, but that doesn't entitle everyone to know what happened at home before coming here.

I do find acting cathartic.

The first thing you have to do is accept that decay sets in and there's nothing you can do about it.