Fortunately my career has never been about how I look, it's about how I can be.

If you're at an award ceremony, you're against your mates.

Chaotic people often have chaotic lives, and I think they create that. But if you try and have an inner peace and a positive attitude, I think you attract that.

You can only do your best. That's all you can do. And if it isn't good enough, it isn't good enough.

I've always liked new writing.

Agents and producers have to get you into a box to accommodate their limited imaginations.

Look at Judi Dench, who's brilliant in whatever bloody job she does.

I worked in rep for six years, then I came to London and to the National Theatre. What's better than that

You could say I'm a character actress. Or maybe a character actress who does peculiar, interesting lead roles. Does that make sense?

I was brought up a Catholic, so I take no pleasure in guilt.

The one good thing is that I get a lot more good scripts coming through my letterbox. 'Vera Drake' raised my profile in one way, and then 'Harry Potter' in another.

I am a pisces, a fish out of water, searching for a way back home.

Do you want to work like a slave and live like a king or do you want to work like a king and live like a slave? Your choice

I seldom made an errand to God for another but I got something for myself.

We need to wash the feet of our enemies.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Conduct is more convincing than language.

Artists are in the imagining/ prototyping business. Society needs people to be out there thinking of what might be. That cannot be something we just delegate to politicians or technologists.

We ought to live sacrificing, and singing, and dancing.

Love can make a great celebration out of your life - but only love, not lust, not ego, not possessiveness, not jealousy, not dependence.

When you walk with someone, something unspoken happens. Either you match their pace or they match yours.