Fear is like the steam that fires the combustion engine. You need fear to get a performance going.

Often Hollywood crews go into third world countries and I don't believe they behave well.

You have to be quite stupid to act.

You know, in America, Christian fundamentalism vs. science. You know, be it teaching Darwinian evolutionary theory or stem cell res- You know, the whole thing, and then the issue of women being educated in Middle Eastern - I mean, it just seems so contemporary. In terms of spirituality, it's interesting because I actually think (her character in Agora) Hypatia is very spiritual.

I'd like to be wanted for my body, too! As an actor I want to play all different kinds of women - independent women but also very vulnerable women.

At the end of the day, flirting is a pretty universal language. Americans are more direct. British people are more indirect about everything

As an actress, it's part of your job to be able to imagine just about anything - even if it's not within your personal experience.