I do a film because I like the story and I want to give life to a character - I don't necessarily have to agree with the director.

We older women in Europe are lucky not to be shoved away in a drawer.

My children are lovely. They're perfect.

I think in most jobs, you get better as you get older. You gain experience, you gain knowledge.

'The English Patient' was a huge turning point in my career and my life; it became this huge thing. But the whole Oscar build-up got completely out of control; I spent more time talking about that film than I spent making it!

I used to be so intensely preoccupied by unhappiness... now there are times where you might get down, but you can move on much faster now.

I just get so fed up with seeing the same things written about me. If I see the words 'ice queen' attached to me, I feel like banging my head against the wall. There's this perception that I can only be in a film if I have a glass of champagne in my hand and a stately home in the background.