You don't go to a comedy and try to laugh. You laugh in spite of yourself. You don't just come on stage and cry. Something has pushed you to cry.

I love the drive from York to Whitby over the moors - one of the great journeys, in my book.

I've had very close relationships with some twentieth-century writers.

Some people will never change.

You need to keep on doing things you have never done before in your career. You have to have a go.

In my life, I've had estates in Russia, houses in Spain, in Norway, in the deep south of America.

Mostly in life people are trying not to have emotions.