I had an inspirational teacher at my junior school: Peter Nixon. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and slightly scary - a good combination for a teacher.

My childhood was very gregarious, and I was usually surrounded by close family.

I dont like to watch myself on screen because in my mind there is a touch of George Clooney about me, but when I see it, there is more than a little Donkey from Shrek about me.

Theres always an anxiety about playing literary characters because one of the great joys of reading books is that you can create your own vision of things.

I enter myself in races. I did a triathlon, and I have done a marathon a couple of times.

I watch films. I play the guitar: me and some mates - I wouldnt dignify it with the term band - get together and play.

I'm a massive sucker for music documentaries.

I didnt know any actors growing up. My dad was a builder, and we didnt know any arty types.

Comedy is a very personal thing, and some people will find it funny, some people wont.

I am a passionate believer that comedy is a way of tackling some of the most dark and difficult aspects of being a human being.

Dad was a strict disciplinarian and would give us a wallop with a wooden spoon if we were out of order. But we really respected him - he didn't try to be our best friend.

I never found myself alone, because of my mother.

I would like to teach music. It's weird the way they teach music in schools like Julliard these days.

This is me.’" He handed her the precious scrap of paper. ‘Call me or I’ll call you, but one of us will call, yes? What I mean is it’s not a competition. You don’t lose if you phone first

After the years of me trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself, I knew I had to go back and fix some things. I can't just be super-rich or whatever and not do the right thing.

To innovate does not necessarily mean to expand; very often it means to simplify.

Broken marriages, conflicts of loyalty, the problems of everyday life fall away as one faces up to [Jeff] Thomson.

Tridents (sic) are not weapons of mass destruction.

Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm.

Her idea of a romantic setting is one that has a diamond in it. If you feel the need to marry a doctor, I suggest a dermatologist. Good hours, free Retin-A.

Air power is the most difficult of military force to measure or even express in precise terms.