I sort of fall in love with every character I do; you have to understand how they became what they've become, whether they're the ugly kind or the very beautiful kinds of characters.

I'm not very well known. However, the more well known you get, the more people are going to have expectations of you. Although that's great, it also imposes certain pressures.

It's different for every project. Some parts are quicker than others to get and know; sometimes right up until the last moment you're just praying that something will click. But you can only do a certain amount of work and then at some point you've got to think: 'OK, I'm just going to have to leap now.'

Of course you want to be good and you want to do the best you can, but I am inspired by great writing. If there's something about the script, that's what I go for, although I know that that doesn't always translate because sometimes it's about the vision of the director.

One of the things I love about acting is that I can enter into these other people's lives. But going back to being me at the end of the day is very important, too. That process of remembering who I am.

People are funny, and in the most tragic situations, when comedy erupts from nowhere, it can turn on its head within the space of a second or a minute. You're laughing one minute and you're crying the next and that's just life for me, and that is what people are like.

Sometimes you go into a film and you have no time to prepare and have to compress the details into a few days and then rely on the instinct and what happens when you're in a scene with other actors and that chemistry or not.

What works for me is knowing the character in an emotional sense. I wish I was more logical but it doesn't work for me like that. I need quite a lot of time; it's why I always worry when I'm doing more than one thing at a time. I hope that some sort of magic will kick in.

When an audience is affected in a way that I've seen with some people, it's so inspiring to me an actor. You know that you're on the right track and you're doing work that can affect people. When that goes hand-in-hand with important issues that we're still living with, and we will be for a long time, sadly, it's so confirming of everything.

You say something, things you would rather forget, and then they are out there. It makes me anxious and I don't know why people are interested in me anyway. If I had my way, I would rather exist in a little hole and not speak to anyone.

Being in nature is very important to me. I'm not a glamour puss.

I don't wear bright orange clothes or leopard skin boots, but it was really good fun to play someone that does and have an excuse too!

I love acting but I also love writing, especially comedy.

I never come away from a film thinking I nailed it.

I'm quite an optimist, quite happy in life, quite smiley.

My feet are like something from another age - prehistoric and troll-like. I keep expecting them to talk, they have that much character.

My parents have a strong work ethic, but their attitude to life, their philosophy, is: 'whatever makes you happy.'

The one thing that's going to get you through this business is having strong roots, being grounded and knowing what is true.

You always want your films to go as far as they can.

You can't be a woman and not be a feminist, I don't think. If you care about the world and the world you exist in and your rights.