I am delighted to join Doctor Who and to be working with this incredible team. Ms Delphox is a great character and someone I've had a lot of fun playing.

There's nowhere to hide in the theatre. You can't be the one in rehearsal who doesn't know their lines.

I prefer watching movies on the sofa rather than sitting next to Bob Geldof at a premiere and wanting to kill yourself.

I'm a mother of three children, and we do make mistakes.

I've never seen an episode of Downton Abbey.

Im a size 12 and Im very happy with it.

'Upstairs Downstairs' and 'Downton Abbey' appeal to people because they're about our history, they look so beautiful, are written by amazing writers and have high production values.

My children have been all over the world, and I think it's so good for them: expanding their horizons and imagination and seeing how other people live.

When you think about such fine actors as Maggie Smith or Michael Gambon, they do all mediums. I think it would be quite sad and a bit dull just to have to stick to one. I like all of them.

Whenever a songwriter writes a big hit, then the next 20 songs they write - no matter how bad they are - get recorded.

The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seed of immortality already sown within us.

To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.

My parents never pressured me except to advise me against acting.

For today, all you need is the grace to begin beginning.

I really wanted to talk about the War on Terror and say that both sides were completely incompetent [in addressing it]. You can't blame the other side when you're involved in it.

I love exaggerated, and I love eccentric, but you must be comfortable. Otherwise it is nonsense. There is nothing charming about a woman who cannot walk in her shoes.

We often find comfort in telling what is painful in actual experience.

I've already said you can't take anything from me that I wouldn't freely give you.

The choosing among words is made by every user of the language, and not exclusively by professional speakers and writers.