I'd love to do some comedy. Particularly French comedy, which I know sounds like a contradiction in terms.

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 think people do work too much. I've never been able to understand the whole 'make hay while the sun shines' thing. Either I want to work or I don't want to work.

It doesn't make you feel very good being mean and fierce; it is much nicer playing people who are kind and sweet.

Now, playing a love interest can be really thrilling, if you're working opposite thrilling people.

I know I can be bolshy and really unpleasant, and it always happens if I lose confidence in the people I'm working with. If I've got no confidence in what I'm doing and they don't provide me with some assurance that we're doing the right thing then I bully people. I'm a horrible bully.

As an adult, it's a huge shock to be orphaned; as a child it's just hideous, ghastly.