I do not want to pour out my heart to the world. I am cautious of what I say and to whom.

I wouldn't want you to see me all the time on the screen, because I get bored of it myself!

I mean, if you're being directed very precisely by somebody who has admiration and who's really smart, it's great. If you're being told what to do by a nincompoop - and luckily that hasn't happened very often - it can be very frustrating.

Often, the roles I'm offered in England are melancholic women who are filled with regret for the past, regret for their fading beauty.

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!

Buy, buy, buy, buy! They want to grab you and trap you and turn you into little Elizabeth Hurleys.