I didn't realise my upbringing was unusual until my teens. As the child of two actors, I presumed that visiting film sets and being surrounded by colourful characters was normal.
The difficulty with film is you always have to consign a story to being a certain length, whereas with a book you don't have budget constraints; you can cast it yourself.
I have always thought we should think less about the British film industry as an entity, and more about getting British talent working.
Initially, my father opposed the idea of joining films and did not want me to move out, but now I'm closest to him and have his full support.
My victory is when the audience buys a ticket to watch my film. I am extremely thrilled when they give it a thumbs-up.
I was mainly a stage actor. I found film acting mechanical, because it was so technical - there was so much technique with the lamps and the movements of the camera.
I'm going to make a film where not one word is really important. I'm going to make it all action.
When you want to make a film abroad, you need producers and people who support you. You need a team that speaks your language.
Among the roles I've played on stage, television and in films were politicos as diverse as Abe Lincoln, Juan Peron, Herman Goering, George Wallace and both Roosevelts.
Look at the Coen brothers. All their minor characters are as interesting as their protagonists. If the smaller characters are well-written, the whole world of the film becomes enriched. It's not the size of the thing, but the detail.
I think about 'The Hurt Locker,' and we made a film about three guys, three different looking guys with three very different energies.
Our film industry as well as the audiences are now open to unconventional pairings and subjects, which has aided my journey greatly.
A whole film is just about arriving at a moment where you hopefully transfer some feeling to the audience.
I know I am the first female celebrity in the world who has allowed herself to be filmed like that in an operating theatre.
You want to keep it in there because you feel like it's yours but to be able to see that sometimes some stuff needs to go and I think it's for the benefit of the film.
I'm a fan of making films. Whether I'm on stage or in front of a camera, one of my first loves is performing for the people. I'd like to do more acting.
In film, you have the luxury of accomplishing what you need in 24 frames every second. Comics, you only have five or six panels a page to do that.
The only genre I have any problem with is musicals, but that's just my own tastes it's nothing to do with the films.
As a child, people were always trying to photograph and film me because it's a way for a shy person to find themselves.
I carry a disposable camera. It takes me back to my childhood, when you had to develop your film and wait to see what pictures you got.
I want to be an all round entertainer, I want to act, make films, make albums, do whatever I can.
