I was brought up in a house full of women; the first time I realised no one was interrupting me was when I was on stage - that's probably the subconscious reason I became an actor.

There's no great mystery to acting. It's a very simple thing to do but you have to work hard at it. It's about asking questions and using your imagination.

I used to do a lot of comedy. I don't know what happened. I think it's my face.

What I love about the East End is that theres a great perseverance, determination and courage. What I dislike about it is that there is sometimes a celebration of ignorance.

My business is not to show anybody anything; my job is just to do it.

It's a very fascinating thing for an actor to play somebody who is suffering, and you have to express the suffering, but in an inarticulate way and sometimes a dysfunctional way, through violence.

I wanted to work with Bryan Singer because I like his films.

Different races never fazed me because coming from Bethnal Green, I'd been around people of different races forever. Different class? That was much harder.

I've got four kids to feed and a wife to provide for. It's a worry but a great responsibility as well and one I relish.

I want to be respected as an actor. There's my ego. But I don't have a great need to be liked by an audience.

The trick to acting is not to show off, it's to think the thoughts of the character.

Friends tell each other what nobody else is willing to tell you.

Sweetheart, my heart is your home, you can always stay there.

Intrinsic values and qualities are age-free. For example, social competencies or a good heart.

Pandering candidates often promise that they can make the pain go away.

All times are good time for those who know how to work and have the tools to do so.

Kids piercing themselves, piercing their tongues, what kind of masochism is that? Is it to show you can just take it?

A sincere diplomat is like dry water or wooden iron.

I'm a simple guy, you know? If I do something, it's not going to be, 'Look at this, look at that.' It just happens.

I watch ESPN all day. If you come into my trailer, ESPN is on. That's the first thing I do when I leave the set.

I'm pretty sure my dog, Pip, gets lonely when there is no one to be with him. But we humans can end up with a gnawing worry about that separation possibly becoming a permanent condition.