When I was young, I learned very early on that I could make my mother laugh. And that was one of the greatest sounds I ever heard.

The Old Vic has always been first and foremost an actors theatre, a home for great talent and memorable performances.

There are times when you do a play when you are living in the character over a two-and-a-half-hour period or longer, and you come to the end of the night, and you can feel like you were hit by a truck.

I've been on sets where things weren't relaxed because someone was creating tension for no reason.

Have we become so celebrity-obsessed that there is no longer a difference between a character and an actor? I hope not.

London is a very energising place to be.

My job as an actor is to serve the writing and help the author get his ideas across.