I find it difficult to explain, but I'm quite ashamed of being an actress.

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

Having a leading man who is actually prettier than you are is quite upsetting.

If you are a successful actor, which is what I am, then you tend to get labelled very quickly and easily.

At school, I always wanted to belong to a gang, and no one would have me. So I'd have make my own gang, but with everybody else's leftovers.

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.

I'm not one of those famous people flying round the world emoting over every catastrophe. I'm too feeble.