Irish women are always carrying water on their heads, and always carrying their husbands home from pubs. Such things are the greatest posture-builders in the world.

I'm not working-class: I come from the criminal classes.

The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise.

If you can't do something willingly and joyfully, then don't do it.

No one can take Jesus away from me.... There's no doubt there was a historical figure of tremendous importance, with enormous notions. Such as peace.

I can't tell you about acting. You can develop all the skills, voice, gesture, movement, you can develop by exercise and practice but finally fundamentally it's mining from yourself, from your own personality, from what you know. If you can't know it you can have a good guess by people you know or books you've read.

If I'm not at my study by 10:00, 10:30, forget it, I can't write a word.