What I do for a living means that people look at me. As an actress, you are scrutinized. You are not just dealing with your looks privately, you are on display. I have never been 100 percent comfortable in my own skin. I go through different phases. But I don't feel beautiful all the time, no.

I'm half-Welsh, half-Russian. My maternal grandmother is Russian. I've very much a mongrel, which is good in a way because it makes me quite a blank canvas.

Because I never set out to be an actress, I always feel so lucky and grateful. There are so many people who are really desperate to be stars, and it was completely the opposite for me - I fell into it.

I know so many acting careers that are deliberately kickstarted by a publicist placing a bit of rubbish in a newspaper. And I don't want that. If someone recognises me, I want it to be because they've seen me in something, not because they have seen me at something.

I've chosen not to talk about my really private life to the press - I've never invited a huge amount of attention.

What I do for a living means that people look at me. As an actress, you are scrutinized. You are not just dealing with your looks privately, you are on display. I have never been 100 percent comfortable in my own skin. I go through different phases. But I don't feel beautiful all the time, no.

I'm really a strong advocate of ageing because the messages that the media and advertising give to women infuriate me: ie that it's a bad thing to get old.