People always ask, 'Was it fun? Was it fun working on a movie?' I don't know if that's the operative word. It is challenging and interesting and all those other things, but fun isn't always.

I've never tried to reach a certain demographic of an audience or try to say: OK, now I'm going to do this type of film to transition myself into more adult roles. Or a romantic hero. Or whatever it may be.

This created world really helped me as an actor. It heightened everything, which made it more dangerous, more interesting and more liberating.

We [ with Russel Crowe] had an Arabic coach there [ in the Body of Lies] that was really helpful, because it was more so than any accent. You have to be so exact, and there's different dialects of Arabic from country to country so it was really, really difficult to tell you the truth. And one of the hardest things I've ever had to do language-wise, because it comes from the throat. It's different. And also learning about the customs and the culture and all that, so we had advisors for that sort of thing.

I'm not a big dreamer. I never have been. I remember fragments of my dream, and I try to take a traditional sort of approach to researching this project and doing preparation for it.

I suppose playing an older man is a way of preparing myself for getting older.

I have to say as an actor I have been inspired by so many British actors throughout the years.