Acting never entered my head. Then I was asked to fill in for someone at the Euston Players, the British Rail am-dram group.
Anything where people have to work together makes me cry.
Before every performance, I think I am about to keel over.
Being a secretary was considered a very good job in those days.
But I was so proud to have won at Cannes, firstly, and the Golden Globe that's such a big deal winning the Golden Globe.
Even if I hadn't have been nominated for an Oscar, to have won the Golden Glove was just fantastic.
Everyone the world over talks about British actors and British talent and I think that's because we were trained - until now - in theatre.
I always considered myself very successful even before the success of Secrets and Lies.
I always think 12 times before saying anything.
I first worked with Mike Leigh in 1980. He likes you to invent the whole history of the character and I've done it ever since.
I hate that people think going to the theatre is a special occasion. I wish people would treat it as normally as going to the cinema.
I knew Secrets and Lies was a great film, but I didn't expect it to get the attention it did because none of his other films had and I thought they were just as good.
I like the enthusiasm but not the insincerity of Los Angeles.
I love silence.
I think behind closed doors people behave differently no matter what period we're looking at, because people have to stand up straight in public but can slouch behind closed doors - can you imagine wearing those corsets?
I think people often confuse success with fame and stardom.
I've done a lot of costume drama and theatre - the National Theatre and In fact, most of my work at the theatre, at the National Theatre anyway, was period.
I've made six films since I made Secrets and Lies but I still live in London and I'd love to do theater.
I've never done a big studio film, I've only ever done little ones.
In fact at home I sometimes like to be quiet and hear the sounds of the world outside.
It's a real leveller, you know, to do theatre at least once every two years.
It's the same as any role and I find that you can't lump characters together; because they all have different life experiences, different reasons for being the way they are.
Maybe wanting to retire is my ambition.
People say to me that I can't be nervous because I've had such a wealth of experience, but I tell them that I have never done this particular part before.
The academy awards in England; it's a classy affair as well.
The strange thing is that since I've been offered lots of films I think that maybe they think that I've sold out to Hollywood. Which is not the case if anybody's listening.
Well I think when classics are made the code of conduct of the period is painted too heavily on top of the natural behaviour.
When I left drama school, there were dozens of rep theatres you could apply to where you got a good training.
Y'know in fact at the Golden Globe I wore dress jewelry but at the Oscars I thought I'd go for broke and I wore about $3 millions worth of diamonds that I borrowed from Harry Winston.
You can share a link to this page with your friend!