Harsh reality is always better than false hope.

A lot of actors find it impossible not to ask for the audience's sympathy. They have a need to twinkle.

Most of the soap operas always use the Christmas special to kill huge quantities of their characters. So they have trams coming off their rails, or cars slamming into each other or burning buildings. It's a general clean-out.

Life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous.

Sometimes it is quite surprising, the emotional intensity of it. I was in NY one day, in Barnes and Noble, and I could see this woman following me around and after a bit I stopped and said 'Hello' and she just looked at me and said: “PLEASE LET EDITH BE HAPPY!”

I mean the truth is, I've always been interested in the whole setup of the old world.

I think every period - except for the 14th century, or something - has some merits.