My fear of drama school is that the natural extraordinary but eccentric talent sometimes can't find its place in a drama school. And often that's the greatest talent. And it very much depends on the drama school and how it's run and the teachers. It's a different thing here in America as well because so many of your great actors go to class, which is sort of we don't do in England.

English actors feel vaguely apologetic for being there at all. American actors know that the most important thing is to get one take out of fifty that is great, and they'll go to any length to get it. The English are used to working within consistently small, low-budget things and think, I mustn't waste their time.

It seems to me that the years between eighteen and twenty-eight are the hardest, psychologically .

I believe that if you want to go make your mark on the world you've got to go out and do it. Don't be shy, be adventurous.

There is that awful moment when you realize that you're falling in love. That should be the most joyful moment, and actually it's not. It's always a moment that's full of fear because you know, as night follows day, the joy is going to rapidly be followed by some pain or other. All the angst of a relationship.

Southend is a dormitory town for London. But it also had this thing of being the playground of the East End - a glamorous holiday town.

I don't get to play the same role over and over in different movies. The roles that I get to play are quite varied, which is great.