The American cinema in general always made stories about working-class people; the British rarely did. Any person with my working-class background would be a villain or a comic cipher, usually badly played, and with a rotten accent. There weren't a lot of guys in England for me to look up to.

When becoming a character, you have to steal. Steal whatever you see. You can even steal from other actors' characterizations; but if you do, only steal from the best.

If you held a pistol at my head, I couldn't tell you who they're going to vote for Best Actor.

If I see any injustice done, I have a big enough mouth and the position to open up about it.

Funny things happen to you in movies for silly reasons.

I have a knack of making villainous people a little bit sympathetic, a bit of fun on screen.

A lot of my best parts I've been the second choice for, so you never get too egotistical about anything.