Theres something important, as an actor, about allowing yourself to be approached by people to do roles. People see different things in you.

We are not telling Tudor history; we are creating ' Wolf Hall ' from novels, which are already a rereading of Tudor history.

For me the rehearsal period is the part I most enjoy. It's the creating of the story.

I've always had a 'Work hard, play hard' attitude to life - I still do - but sometimes you get involved in something that needs a calm, methodical approach.

You know what it's like to feel anxious - it's horrible feeling anxious. It's stressful having that feeling, having butterflies in your stomach, even for a day, and you don't sleep at night.

I think people like to be scared. I think people like tension and suspense in a movie.

You can't do something that is morally vacuous or dysfunctional and then write it off saying, 'It wasn't my film, I was just doing a job in it.'

People need revelation, and then they need resolution.

My heroes were all in the theatre.

I think you can't be really posh and be an interesting actor. I'm a bit of a posh rough.

Temperamentally I'm not a natural producer, because I don't have the patience.

To be around family is to feel the possibility of growing roots again.

the mind is a treasuretrove, an almanac, a tomb.

Ninety percent of people who lose weight gain it back. It's very sad.

15 minutes a day! Give me just this and I'll prove I can make you a new man.

My mum still wonders when I'll get a real job. These are the questions we discuss at our family dinners.

Just take me with you. Please. I cant. Please, Papa. I cant. I cant hold my son dead in my arms. I thought I could but I cant.

Taxes should be lower, flatter, and simpler, in that order.

My ambition is to further create a signature sound, a signature spirit, that makes some kind of contribution to music in general.

If it's not true love, then that energy will gradually wear the subtle physical down.

For the forest to be green, each tree must be green.