I packed coffee once when I lived in Australia, and I just remember going around every day with coffee up my nose and in my ears.
Film has a tendency to be limiting in some way and it shouldn’t be. It’s a form that can be explored and changed.
We’re all outsiders in a way. We’re all alone and can become very lonely.
There’s nothing like being on a massive-budget film where you don’t know anything, and there’s a million people, and no one’s communicating.
I’m so used to Australian films not getting a release outside Australia.
To me acting originally became an extension of game playing.
Being in the woods at night is a beautiful thing.
I think I’m much less self confident today. I actually went through a quite painful period because of that thinking that I was completely hopeless. But I think that’s something that we all go through at various times of our lives and it was quite a sustained thing with me.
Film sets are constantly amusing because you really are creating something that is so very surreal, and I kind of like that.
As an actor, to do all sorts of different films is great.
I think I’m a bit of a dreamer. I don’t like the reality of life to impinge much on my life.
I’m always trepidatious and excited about what I do. I wouldn’t choose to do something, unless I am really excited about it.
Having agreed to play Elrond, I realized how much had to be worked out about this character: the idea of portraying someone who is immortal, for one thing; plus the fact he is noble, wise, powerful, good – and beautiful! I began to think that he was altogether impossible to play!
I guess I judge my films by how pleased I am with the work I do, so it’s kind of on another level. If they do well at the box office, then that’s great. Then I’m really pleased about that too.
I don’t think I’ll ever escape the fact that I don’t belong anywhere in particular. I’ve often dreamed about going back to Nigeria, but that’s a very romantic notion. It’s a hideous country to go to in reality.
I generally find an affinity with a lot of the people I play and I suppose if I didn’t feel an affinity for them then they wouldn’t be particularly good performances.
Across the board, Australian films need to have a lot more money spent on selling them.
I think any role you need to play not so much transforms but I like to think of it as understanding the psychology of another character.
As human beings, of course, we’re all compromised and complex and contradictory and if a screenplay can express those contradictions within a character and if there’s room for me to express them, that’s a part I’d love to play, so much more than a character who is heroic and one-dimensional.
I think often in film we limit our imaginations a little – well, quite a lot, actually things get quite formulaic.