I was the kid who never won the races. I never jumped the highest. I wasn't on the list of the high-achieving.

With The Reader, I'd just be shattered at the end of every day really. I wouldn't really want to talk. We kept saying, because we were in Berlin: "If we get back at a decent hour, let's go and have a glass of wine." We'd always think it would be a great idea, but then get to the end of the day and then go [acts drowsy and blabs]. It was very difficult for everybody.

Having been here before and lost to be here and win, I've got to tell you, winning is really a lot better than losing. Really a lot better.

Everyone can commit to 20 minutes, especially if there's a glass of Chardonnay afterwards.

I do think it's important for young women to know that magazine covers are retouched. People don't really look like that.

There's not an awful lot that embarrasses me. I'm the kind of actress that absolutely believes in exposing myself.

Also for me, I don't make endless movies back to back all the time, I really sort of come to understand and love the characters that I play. And with April and Hanna you sort of go through a weird period of feeling sad about letting them go. Sometimes that takes me a week and sometimes it takes me a couple of months, just so that I can feel I can realign my own thoughts again. I do feel really, really blessed that I've had these opportunities.