I love characters that are very layered and complex. It's more exciting and different than any simple role- plus, I love a good challenge.

As an actor, I usually have to find something to love about my character in order to play her.

You can't play history and you can't play historical characters. You just have to reduce it to the ordinary.

When you eliminate vanity from an art form, and I would think that this would be any art form, what is left is an opportunity to be incredibly naked and truthful.

I've sort of prided myself on playing characters with conscience. The first way I go about creating a character is looking at that area of conscience. What have they done, and what has it cost.

A lot of our young people are sleep-walking, dreaming that they're awake, and lots of aspects of society initially go about keeping it so.

Initially I started in theatre as a Shakespearean actress before film and television. I've always been an artistic child growing up and I knew I wanted to act for as long as I can remember.