Ancient Rome was a violent place.

Acting gives me a chance to be people I will never be, in real life. I like changing who I am.

I like television that grabs you by your throat.

It has taken a long time for me to be able to really just be in front of the camera.

I like doing things that are very wildly different. I find that the meat and vegetables of being an actor is doing things that are completely different, all the time.

One of the things I like about doing historical films is drawing the line between now and then.

Actors are their own worst enemies. They quite often will get in their own way, and I have to be encouraged, endlessly, not to get in my own way.