I hate to say that my mother was 'just a housewife', because in addition to that she has had lots of part-time secretarial jobs in factories and hospitals, always working really hard for our family.

Being at the pinnacle of my career is not to turn up in some multiplex blockbuster.

My dad is such a good man, hard-working.

I love actresses who are brave and don't do what's expected of them or don't play off how they look or take risks.

We live in a celebrity-obsessed society.

I love strong women in films that are allowed to play women and not male fantasies.

At my school, Shakespeare wasn't on the syllabus - at least not for me.