There are a lot of parallels between the historical Henry VIII and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. There's an oscillation and extremity of emotion throughout his repertoire that lends itself beautifully to the nature of Henry VIII, definitely. He will push things to the limit, and yet remain in emotional control.

The Tudors”) “I walked away thinking, well, if I don't get the job, it doesn't matter - I've kissed Jonathan Rhys Meyers!

I was frequently told at drama school that I was thinking too much.

That's part of what I touch on in my [UN] speech - when assaults happen on women and girls in these fragile countries, in these places of crisis, there isn't the psychosocial support. There aren't counseling services. It's not in a lot of cultures to explicitly talk about things that maybe have happened to the body. So, repression of emotion, and shame, and guilt is something that really needs to be handled in humanitarian crises.

I love going out of my comfort zone—I live to go out of my comfort zone. Obviously, you have quieter years than others—you don’t go jumping out of a plane every day.

These are moments in your life to be cherished; they don't come around that often. To be flying around in a 'Game of Thrones' jet, to be greeted by massive enthusiasts.

When you play a real person, you feel a sense of responsibility that obviously you don't feel when you're playing a fictional character.