I don't know if I'm so righteous.

Performance became part of my art in a way - expressing things and emotion.

On the surface, it's really easy to dismiss certain characters, but sometimes you find that the most interesting parts are disappointingly shallow. It's your job as an actress to pull that person apart, and work out why they act the way that they do.

Before I go on stage, I knock three times. Three is my lucky number; I once went into an audition and was number 333 and got the best part ever.

I've read my grandmother's memoirs and she served as a nurse during World War II. What they had to do was incredible.

I remember stealing some pic n' mix when I was seven; when I got out of the shop, I burst into tears.

I filmed 'Albatross' before I got 'Downton.' It's a coming-of-age movie about this girl who leaps into this family's life, like a whirlwind. She's ballsy and brash and wonderful, it was such an amazing character to play.