I was opposed to doing TV for a long time because I thought the quality of writing wasn't very strong, as opposed to film, but there's been a shift in term of the quality of scripts. HBO has attracted a tremendous amount of great writing talent.

George Martin is an incredible writer.

Being on television, playing the same character for many years, for me, I think that would get a little tedious.

I think if actors are successful at one thing, they paint themselves into a corner sometimes, and what's the fun in that?

Call me Elf......one more time!

I love working with the same actors repeatedly. That happens a lot. It's kind of inevitable, especially if you work with the same writers and directors and you start to form a company of actors. You gravitate towards each other.

I hate that word — 'lucky.' It cheapens a lot of hard work