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.

Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.

The good parts are the people who don't make do. They're the interesting people. Lear doesn't make do.

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

I woke up one morning to find I was famous. I bought a white Rolls-Royce and drove down Sunset Boulevard, wearing dark specs and a white suit, waving like the Queen Mum.

Where do I begin? I loved working with Kate Hepburn, which was one of the highlights of my life; Working with Richard Burton in Beckett was another great joy.

You talk about auteur de cinema having things in their heads and putting them all across, can you imagine Shakespeare writing screenplays?