My mother was born on a tiny farm in County Mayo. She was meant to stay at home and look after the farm while her brother and sister got an education. However, she came to England on a visit and never went back.

I can talk myself so much into my part.

Some of the most interesting questions needing to be asked today can best be asked on television, or on stage, and they can be wonderful, great dramas, but they won't necessarily be blockbusters.

I've never done so much bloody crying in my life. I was always moaning about how hard it was when we were shooting, how awful I felt.

I never had any acting heroes. I never really went to the theatre.

I was always someone who lived in the future all the time, it was always the next thing - dreams of escape.

I'll tell you how it happened. The phone rang. Paul, my agent, goes, 'Would you like to play Meryl Streep's?' I said, 'Yeeees! I'll do it, whatever it is.' He said, 'It's Mamma Mia!.' I said, 'Oh no, which character? The fat friend?