I'm a massive sucker for music documentaries.

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.

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

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 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.

No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination.

Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.

The country already has a leader who divides us with the bitter politics of envy. We have to offer an alternative vision.

The goal of prayer is the ear of God.

Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory

Living artificially in towns, we are sickly, and never come to know ourselves.

I am not so lost in lexicography as to forget that words are the daughters of earth, and that things are the sons of heaven.

There's no point living, if you can't feel alive.

I was going to buy a van and move to LA so I could secretly pursue acting without any of my friends knowing.

The very purpose of a knight is to fight on behalf of a lady.