At 19, you know everything; by the time you're 40, you haven't got a clue.

In Britain, the press want to kill a show by revealing what's coming up and spoiling the pleasure.

We were all expecting to finish [Downton Abbey] after Series 1, actually. And then, it got extended to Series 3, and that's when two of our much loved and much missed friends left. And then, it was going to be done with Series 5, but Julian Fellowes said, "I'd like to do one more." So it's been a series of extensions, rather than wondering how much longer we can go on for.

To go to the White House is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, the building is not that big.

When you are in the eye of the storm, you are often not aware of the whiplash around you.

After World War II, the major estates really did collapse.

Certain stories that you want to see resolve in certain ways are, and some aren't, but that's life.