If you look at Shakespeare's history plays, what the setting of monarchy allows is this extraordinary intensification of emotions and predicament.

Actors are programmed to see the worst. If you're talking about an actor's TV series, you say, "I loved you last night." And they go, "What about the week before?" They immediately worry.

Some of my most special shooting experiences have been at weekends.

I was always obsessed with finding truly researched images to add authenticity, out of that came something totally contemporary and modern. Research is very key to my process because over and over again, reality provides more interesting images than you could have invented.

I mean, we've all had those dreams where, you know, we try to cry out and our voice won't come.

I think directors can become overly infatuated by gilt and gold, and the word "lavish" and everything being magnificent.

I think people enjoy finding out something genuinely new.