A Christian telling an atheist they're going to hell is as scary as a child telling an adult they're not getting any presents from Santa.

I use people's real voices because I want realism. So often I mention the actors' physicality because I want it to be like a real documentary.

I'm quite squeamish, really. I'm philistine and unsophisticated - not because of my great discerning palate but other reasons. Some are moral grounds, some texture.

The service in L.A. is the best. You don't get sarcastic, surly, fed-up waiters and waitresses like you do in England. They're good at their job and they're there for the customer. The only depressing thing is a lot of them have written more screenplays than me.

Someone asked me what three things I would save if my house was on fire. I said my cat, my salamander and one of the twins.

I know how much embarrassment hurts, and I love it as a theme because you can keep digging a hole. It's just an endless well, embarrassment.

My greatest hero is Nelson Mandela. What a man. Incarcerated for 25 years, he was released in 1990 and he hasn't reoffended. I think he's going straight, which shows you prison does work.