The more people know about an actor the less convincing they become. A bit of mystery's a good thing.

The script will point you in certain directions and I go the opposite if I can. I try do do one thing and tell a different story with my eyes. I believe what's more interesting is always what's not being said.

People in Scotland appreciate homegrown talent, but it's getting harder and harder to get films made in Britain.

I used to be a rabid reader, but now it's scripts or nothing - network television is quite relentless, and you can't drop the ball.

Most of the time, you find that the smaller the budget, the more the project is about something substantive.

My dad was rubbish at all other aspects of his financial life, but he's pretty good at paying the rent.

Acting is probably the greatest therapy in the world. You can get a lot stuff out of you on the set so you don't have to take it home with you at night. It's the stuff between the lines, the empty space between those lines which is interesting.