England is a fairly envious little country and it's embodied in the press. They don't like anyone being more distinguished than they are.

This is the extraordinary thing about creativity: If just you keep your mind resting against the subject in a friendly but persistent way, sooner or later you will get a reward from your unconscious.

I'm not sure what's going on in Britain. I don't know what's going on in London. Because London is no longer an English city, and that's how they got the Olympics. I mean, they said, "We're the most cosmopolitan city on Earth," but it doesn't feel English.

I get bored easily. I've been bored most of my life.

I tend to have an odd split in my mind: I tend to look at it as a writer and when the writing thing is OK and I'm happy with it, then I put on my actor's hat.

The most creative people have this childlike facility to play.

I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me.