I did all sorts of jobs after drama school - working in a bar, as a teaching assistant. I probably learned as much from them as I did at drama school.

It's beneficial to play against your type; to be chameleon-like.

My history teacher was utterly terrifying, but her lessons were very inspiring. She got me interested in people and stories, which then led me to acting.

I've not sat with my agent going: 'Where is the next hopeless girl I can play?' They just come along.

When I'm in a tricky situation I often think: 'What would Beyonce do?' It helps.

You have to have sympathy for and an empathy with a character in order to play them.

In the U.K., there is a sort of obsession with class.

I'm not recognised much at all.

I think it must be so hard to start your career with everyone going on about how gorgeous you are. To be in that bracket must be so pressurised.

I don't really get recognised very much.

As actors, you play people who are not yourselves!

Other forces were at work besides conformism. But without the conformists, the great atrocities would have been impossible.

What could he be thinking of? He seemed to be trying to remember something, perhaps an engagement, perhaps an excuse to leave her. For eventually, they all made some excuse.

If you live long enough the venerability factor creeps in you get accused of things you never did and praised for virtues you never had.

In the Orient people believed that the basis of all disease was unhappiness. Thus to make a patient happy again was to restore him to health.

I love you as New Englanders love pie!

That scent she threw off was not anything by Chanel. Unless they’d recently added a Tragedy line.

I had it in my heart. I believed in myself, and I had confidence. I knew how to do it, had natural talent and I pursued it.

Let me tell you, I am nobody's puppet.

I think I've done more recording in the past 10 years than most people, but it's all been directed toward film composing and soundtracks. Just the same, it's been great.

You can work next to a guy for months without even knowing his name.