One of the reasons I like a suit is because I’ve never been that keen on my body. The shape a suit presents is always going to be better than anything I can do.
All actors who have been around for a long time, which I have, and have been skint for long periods, which I have, find it difficult to turn down jobs. If I turn anything down my stomach turns over. I feel sick. It feels like gambling.
Anyone who can do the splits and come back up on the backbeat, as James Brown and Prince can, has my eternal respect. Prince, who is a genius of the highest order, can come back up while singing and playing the guitar.
I’m always happy when actors get rich, because the odds on it are so long!
The degree of notoriety I have is fine and easy. There’s nothing hysterical about it.
It’s probably healthier to find fame later in life.
If I’m going to appear in front of people I like to look my best.
Actors always talk about taking their work home and I always think: ‘What are you on? You just turn it off. You are at work and then you go home.’
I quoted David Hare one of his lines the other day to illuminate whatever point we were trying to make in the conversation, and I said ‘What play was that?’ and he said ‘It was your line, you said it about a hundred and fifty times in The Vertical Hour.’
I did pick up a guitar once, but the strings hurt my fingers so I put it down again.
It can’t be overstated how wonderful it is not to have to audition any more. Any actor will tell you, it’s like Christmas.
You have all these plans to act, and maybe do it rather elegantly, and then they turn the rain machine on.
I really have no interest in delivering the iambic pentameter, I just want to kill myself. I don’t mind other people doing it. I say that, but really I don’t want to watch other people doing it. I get embarrassed.
I used to think that prizes were damaging and divisive, until I got one. And now they seem sort of meaningful and real.
When you have a family, or even when you’re just seeing a girl, it’s difficult to be skint.
I’m not a royal family watcher.
My dad had a personal style which was very attractive. It was quite reserved and quite elegant, and it was infectious.
I’ve always slightly worried the kids who play football around my house. They know I’m an actor, but felt sorry for me because they’d never seen anything I’ve done.
Standing in front of a fake mountain with fake snow falling and seven girls dressed as Santarettes will stay in my memory.
There are only three men in the world who are licensed to wear shorts: Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise.