British Quotes

Ellis Peters's historical detail is very accurate and very minute, and therefore is not only interesting to read but good for an actor to acquire a sense of the period. And the other thing I think is that an actor lives in the land of imagination.

Actors, I don't think, ever really grow up. I'm hoping that that rejuvenating process applies to me, too. It has so far. I've been very lucky.

Real-life people are often the hardest to play, people that you recreate who have actually lived, because you have to live up to people's knowledge of those characters.

I don't think he's permanently affected me except in the sense that I miss him. I miss being him. Or trying to be him. He is one of a gallery of characters that have had an impact on my career and therefore my life.

There's never been any game plan or thread through my career. It's just happened that I've ricocheted from one interesting character to another.

One hell of an outlay for a very small return, with most of them.

My money goes to my agent, then to my accountant and from him to the tax man.

Men can be a great deal of work for very little reward.

I've always been ambitious to be very good at what I do.

I told them I wouldn't sign a blank cheque.

I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious.

I have never believed you make your case stronger by bad-mouthing your opposition.

Why put make-up on when you only have to take it off again?

When I have to cry, I think about my love life. When I have to laugh, I think about my love life.

It would be nice if education was free to everyone who wanted it, but that's not the world we live in.

I want to do a musical movie. Like Evita, but with good music.

Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant.

You've got to sing like you don't need the money.

If I'm too strong for some people, that's their problem.

I used to believe that anything was better than nothing. Now I know that sometimes nothing is better.

You don't buy evil characters lattes. That's not normal behavior.

There's definitely a wave of Brits doing great work on American television, and I wouldn't mind being one of them!

Sometimes people can be guilty of not working at relationships and if it's not working, oof, that's it.

My mom and dad put my brother and sister through university and they were very keen for us to have an academic background just to give us a chance.

Most actors will tell you that villains are the most interesting to play.

It's hard being gay in Edwardian times.

If I had a comfort blanket, I wouldn't have been as passionate and driven.

I'm a working class lad.

I think because of my background - I went through university and did an academic career and fell into acting - I've never had a game plan for my career because I got into it quite ad hoc.

America does not like people being not nice to dogs.