I think any film that asks its audience a degree of tolerance and acceptance of those less fortunate than themselves isn’t a bad thing from whatever culture you’re in or from whatever part of any political spectrum.
I’ve often been the guy who doesn’t get the girl.
I’ve had people come up to me in the past and say they enjoyed whatever show I’ve been in.
I’d love to retire somewhere like Winchester, where you have one foot on the pavement but a sense of being in the country as well.
I had girlfriends, but settling down was the last thing on my mind.
I do realise how incredibly lucky I am.
The press mainly want to destroy a program by revealing what’s coming up. For some reason, soaps like doing that.
I always try to look for the best in most places.
At 19, you know everything; by the time you’re 40, you haven’t got a clue.
Am I athletic? In my dreams.
Certain stories that you want to see resolve in certain ways are, and some aren’t, but that’s life.
After World War II, the major estates really did collapse.
I certainly couldn’t run a big country house, nor could I organize the greatest show on earth.
Young people are so often dissed by the media.
When you are in the eye of the storm, you are often not aware of the whiplash around you.
At home I have a Tibetan terrier. I’m still not sure if he’s a genius or very thick. It’s a fine line.
I have an excellent internal compass.
A typical Christmas is me shucking oysters. I love them and I always get them in at Christmas.
To go to the White House is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, the building is not that big.
Julian Fellowes doesn’t come to the set, except maybe once every six weeks, for whatever reason. He’s not a producer, in that sense. But if you write him a one-line question, he’ll write you a three-page answer.