If you're a kid at a secondary comprehensive in North London as I was in the seventies, prancing around doing acting and being a luvvie wasn't really a good idea for your personal security.

My approach to 'Eastenders' is the same as my approach to film and the same approach to theatre. Whatever I do, I use the same skills and tools.

I do see a lot of my kids, but sometimes I feel as though we have snatched moments. I turn up half way through something, or I only see her at bedtime. I'd like there to be more.

EastEnders' keeps me so busy - that is where I'm at and I can't see that changing too soon. There's nothing that has quite got the punch of an 'EastEnders' script.

Let others scream, because ultimately you know your story

As young one we learned life is a opportunity and when we grow older we learned something more precious death is a gift

Lose no time; be always employed in something useful.

My emotions overload because there is no hand to hold, there’s no shoulder here to lean on; I’m walking all on my own.

Painting, drawing - I'm really into photography, I've done it since high school.

Talent is always more interesting - ambition is not interesting. If you have talent, you have to find ways of expressing it, but you may not be a success in the world's terms.

There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight.

As far as R&B, I listen to a lot of old school like the Temptations and Chris Brown.

Books get older as well; their body also wears out, but unlike us, their brain remains forever young!

I always loved doing productions in school. In college, I started getting a little more serious.