As an actor, those are the roles that you long for. You always want something that's going to kick your last role out of the water and put you off on a new path.

I was never that kind of star. I was never cast because I was gorgeous.

Directors always used to be like the police to me - the enemy, the people to tell me what to do when I didn't want to do it. But I've lived with one for a while now and I guess I can put myself more in their position. You shouldn't be too sympathetic to them.

Once a film gets into production, the actors sometimes begin to have more input than a writer does.

When you're 16, you think 28 is so old! And then you get to 28 and it's fabulous. You think, then, what about 42? Ugh! And then 42 is great. As you reach each age, you gain the understanding you need to deal with it and enjoy it.

I couldn't handle the rules the Queen has to live by at all, and very few of us could. It's a golden cage, really. You're never alone in that role - you are always surrounded by security.

It's great to be queen!