Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.

I am an optimist, unrepentant and militant. After all, in order not to be a fool an optimist must know how sad a place the world can be. It is only the pessimist who finds this out anew every day.

Acting on television is like being asked by the captain to entertain the passengers while the ship goes down.

The French and the British are such good enemies that they can't resist being friends.

Sometimes I wish I could just fall in love. Then, at least you know who your opponent is.

I have three daughters and I find as a result I played King Lear almost without rehearsal.

Generals are fascinating cases of arrested development - after all, at five all of us wanted to be generals.