I aspire to be an instrument of the director. I'm happiest like that. The stronger the director, the more I'm willing to give them.

I was born William. My father was William. I came from a big family, I hated being called Billy. Willem's a nickname; it's a Dutch name, very common in the Netherlands.

The worst thing is to get involved with people who aren't passionate about what they're doing.

The English Patient' is about the coming together of a French-Canadian nurse, an English patient, a Sikh in a turban and me, Caravaggio, and each of us is seeking a resolution to our own problems.

Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to.

I never act. I simply bring out the real animal that's in me.

Sometimes I think women are lucky because they can develop in ways men can't. The old-boy network may be oppressive to women, but it actually stunts men in terms of personal growth.

The mask can be a limitation, but you just deal with it. You do get superhuman strength and pumpkin bombs and all this other stuff to express yourself with.'

You have to lose yourself to find yourself.

Action breeds inspiration more than inspiration breeds action.

I guess they often cast me as the bad guy, because I'm not, er, conventional looking. I look sort of violent. I'm the odd one out, the outsider.

There is no such thing as white lies a lie is as black as a coalpit and twice as foul.

I was at college doing performing arts, and just spending all my time mucking about, and the lecturers thought I would be pretty good at stand-up, so I gave it a whirl.

I was one of those lucky people with only one talent. It is harder for people with many talents to decide what to do.

I don't know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens.

Mary Gauthier's great. Yeah, we've played a lot of gigs together. She's really wonderful.

There is no Garbo! There is no Dietrich! There is only Louise Brooks!

Class envy is dangerous.

You sort of have to become what you're wearing.

It is curious how vanity helps the successful man and wrecks the failure.

I love the fact that you collaborate with your readers when you write a book.