I'd love to go back to Greek times and see the birth of theater and performing, in that time. It wou...
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I'd love to go back to Greek times and see the birth of theater and performing, in that time. It would be so extraordinary to see the need that theater came out of, in the first place. I think we could probably all learn a bit from that.
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Stories have always been the things that entertain me and make me feel happy and sad and move me and...
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Stories have always been the things that entertain me and make me feel happy and sad and move me and give me the experience of being able to live many lives in one lifetime. It's the best thing about being alive.
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Getting older is a struggle. I always feel that just under the surface of acceptance and enjoyment o...
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Getting older is a struggle. I always feel that just under the surface of acceptance and enjoyment of the aging process is a terrible hysteria just waiting to burst out.
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A lot of the times when I've auditioned for parts in America, the answer is, 'Sorry, we need a bigge...
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A lot of the times when I've auditioned for parts in America, the answer is, 'Sorry, we need a bigger name.'
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I would never use prosthetics. I don't like sticking things on. I don't really like wearing wigs, ei...
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I would never use prosthetics. I don't like sticking things on. I don't really like wearing wigs, either.
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I'd love to go back to Europe in the '20s and '30s, for the beginning of the Psychoanalytic Movement...
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I'd love to go back to Europe in the '20s and '30s, for the beginning of the Psychoanalytic Movement, and Freud and Jung, and all that was going on with discoveries in quantum physics. The whole nature of reality was changing and being challenged.
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A lot of children are interested in fairies, especially young girls, and Tinker Bell is the ueber-fa...
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A lot of children are interested in fairies, especially young girls, and Tinker Bell is the ueber-fairy. She's the pin-up girl of fairies. She's the ultimate fairy, but she's also got a mischievous spirit and she's very strong-willed. I think a lot of youngsters recognize themselves in Tinker Bell.
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Hopefully, any character I play has an anchor in reality.
Hopefully, any character I play has an anchor in reality.
I perceive and relate to the world through where I grew up; that's part of me. It's what I judge eve...
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I perceive and relate to the world through where I grew up; that's part of me. It's what I judge everything else against.
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There are times in my career where I can see it would be helped by having a bit more of a profile, b...
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There are times in my career where I can see it would be helped by having a bit more of a profile, but it's not like I refuse to do interviews, no, not at all.
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I think the best acting is when you allow yourself to be kind of vulnerable in the moment.
I think the best acting is when you allow yourself to be kind of vulnerable in the moment.
Acting itself is quite scary. Some people say that actors are show-offs, very egotistical and all th...
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Acting itself is quite scary. Some people say that actors are show-offs, very egotistical and all that kind of stuff, but it is quite scary.
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When I was at drama school, I wanted to change the world, and thought I had some great wisdom to imp...
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When I was at drama school, I wanted to change the world, and thought I had some great wisdom to impart to people about humanity. Now that I'm older, I know enough to realize that I know nothing at all.
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I don't want to do something that I've done before; I can't see the point of it.
I don't want to do something that I've done before; I can't see the point of it.
My job takes me away from my daughter Lily a lot, so when I am with her the time is precious. When I...
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My job takes me away from my daughter Lily a lot, so when I am with her the time is precious. When I'm filming I try to speak to her every day and let her know that I'm thinking of her and hopefully stay a presence in her life. I want Lily to have a parent who is enjoying and is passionate about their work but at the same time I don't want it to be something that takes me away from her too much.
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I would like to be taller, thinner and more rakish looking.
I would like to be taller, thinner and more rakish looking.
Having played a lot of characters that are dangerously close to caricature, there's something I've a...
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Having played a lot of characters that are dangerously close to caricature, there's something I've always found, and that is: everything you do has to be connected to the source of what the character really is.
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I cry when I feel moved by incredible generosity or a connection to someone. We spend so much of our...
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I cry when I feel moved by incredible generosity or a connection to someone. We spend so much of our lives being separated. It's the relief of connection that produces the tears.
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I don't find the life in Hollywood all that meaningful or inspiring.
I don't find the life in Hollywood all that meaningful or inspiring.
While I enjoy spending time in L.A., Britain is my home.
While I enjoy spending time in L.A., Britain is my home.
I can be a lazy dresser.
I can be a lazy dresser.
I try not to pay any attention to clothes fascism and I'd rather be thought of as someone who has hi...
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I try not to pay any attention to clothes fascism and I'd rather be thought of as someone who has his own sense of style.
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I've never met anyone normal.
I've never met anyone normal.
I've always loved animation and animated films.
I've always loved animation and animated films.
I was obsessed with football when I was growing up.
I was obsessed with football when I was growing up.
I do think there's a kind of a dark energy in Port Talbot. It's dominated by the steelworks, where t...
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I do think there's a kind of a dark energy in Port Talbot. It's dominated by the steelworks, where there's this fire that's pumping out energy every day, and I think that is a good symbol for a kind of restless, fiery energy.
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I always say if I'm not good at something it's just because I've not had time to focus on it... it's...
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I always say if I'm not good at something it's just because I've not had time to focus on it... it's just uncrafted, like a slab of rock that contains the statue of David within it.
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I've always had an eye for what looks good on a man. But I've not always found it easy to find cloth...
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I've always had an eye for what looks good on a man. But I've not always found it easy to find clothes that look good on me.
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I live a very Kenneth Williams-like existence.
I live a very Kenneth Williams-like existence.
I think the story of 'Alice in Wonderland' in a way is a reminder that life is frightening, it can s...
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I think the story of 'Alice in Wonderland' in a way is a reminder that life is frightening, it can shift on you at any moment.
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It's weird that I've ended up playing so many real live people, because I was never any good at impe...
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It's weird that I've ended up playing so many real live people, because I was never any good at impersonations at school.
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I find increasingly that the more extreme are the things going on in your life, the more cultural re...
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I find increasingly that the more extreme are the things going on in your life, the more cultural reference points fail you. More mythical reference points actually help, and you realize that's what myths are for. It's for human beings to process their experience in extremis.
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I'm happy in my life.
I'm happy in my life.
I think I'm becoming more relaxed in front of a camera. I suppose I'll always feel slightly more at ...
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I think I'm becoming more relaxed in front of a camera. I suppose I'll always feel slightly more at home on stage. It's more of an actor's medium. You are your own editor, nobody else is choosing what is being seen of you.
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My chief gifts are - naturally good at all sports with a raw talent for pretty much everything, whic...
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My chief gifts are - naturally good at all sports with a raw talent for pretty much everything, which if nurtured could develop into improper talent.
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'Hamlet' is one of the most dangerous things ever set down on paper. All the big, unknowable questio...
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'Hamlet' is one of the most dangerous things ever set down on paper. All the big, unknowable questions like what it is to be a human being; the difference between sanity and insanity; the meaning of life and death; what's real and not real. All these subjects can literally drive you mad.
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It's interesting that in searching for monsters to play you often end up playing leaders.
It's interesting that in searching for monsters to play you often end up playing leaders.
By the time you are 30 you are still trying to make your 15-year-old self happy but you are a differ...
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By the time you are 30 you are still trying to make your 15-year-old self happy but you are a different person. You need to be brave and let go of that.
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Although my family - parents and sister - all work in the personnel management business, their real ...
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Although my family - parents and sister - all work in the personnel management business, their real passion is performing, amateur operatic societies and so on.
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I enjoy doing things that involve research because it's part of what I enjoy about acting.
I enjoy doing things that involve research because it's part of what I enjoy about acting.
I love watching Jeff Bridges act. He's brilliant.
I love watching Jeff Bridges act. He's brilliant.
Normal people - i.e., people who aren't actors - are the most bizarre people you can ever come acros...
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Normal people - i.e., people who aren't actors - are the most bizarre people you can ever come across. I'll talk to someone and come away thinking, 'They are clinically insane.'
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On the one hand Twitter gives you the opportunity to engage with people, which is great, but on the ...
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On the one hand Twitter gives you the opportunity to engage with people, which is great, but on the other there are people who feel they can say whatever they want, put poison out there, really, without fear of any repercussions.
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For a culture that has such a problem with death, we seem to deal with it in a quite bizarre way. We...
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For a culture that has such a problem with death, we seem to deal with it in a quite bizarre way. We see people shot, killed and blown up, and we find it funny and sexy and all those things. But, the reality of it is that every day people die, and people are really sad and they grieve and they go through a really difficult process with it.
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I'm a big fan of vampire movies generally and that sort of tradition of characters.
I'm a big fan of vampire movies generally and that sort of tradition of characters.
My tragedy is that all I want is a dog, and yet I have been cursed with cats all my life.
My tragedy is that all I want is a dog, and yet I have been cursed with cats all my life.
I am very impatient.
I am very impatient.
I suppose I've got a reputation for playing quite extreme characters and making them quite believabl...
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I suppose I've got a reputation for playing quite extreme characters and making them quite believable.
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As a general thing, I've always been drawn to characters who appear to be one thing on the surface, ...
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As a general thing, I've always been drawn to characters who appear to be one thing on the surface, but are actually something else underneath.
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I am prone to get carried away thinking about creative projects.
I am prone to get carried away thinking about creative projects.
The secret to acting is don't act. Be you, with add-ons.
The secret to acting is don't act. Be you, with add-ons.
If someone has an ability to impress an audience there's a tendency to be tempted into doing just th...
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If someone has an ability to impress an audience there's a tendency to be tempted into doing just that.
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Americans are much more open than people in Britain.
Americans are much more open than people in Britain.
I suppose I'm something of an eccentric dresser.
I suppose I'm something of an eccentric dresser.
Part of the fun of life is interacting with people and not knowing what the truth is inside. Letting...
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Part of the fun of life is interacting with people and not knowing what the truth is inside. Letting them reveal that to you is what binds you to people.
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I'm not a Tony Blair impersonator.
I'm not a Tony Blair impersonator.
You know, we're each the hero of our own story and we perceive what's going on around us, and especi...
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You know, we're each the hero of our own story and we perceive what's going on around us, and especially in a relationship, from the kind of viewpoint of, 'Well, this is my story, and I'm the hero of that, and I justify what I do around it.'
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My dad is a Jack Nicholson lookalike and a frustrated performer, my mother's into reading and poetry...
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My dad is a Jack Nicholson lookalike and a frustrated performer, my mother's into reading and poetry. I suppose the thing I owe them most is my confidence.
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When I'm in America, I like to be near the sea, listen to music, watch films, read and write.
When I'm in America, I like to be near the sea, listen to music, watch films, read and write.
I have a terrible temper. I have absolutely no problem with getting shouty or a bit physical. It's n...
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I have a terrible temper. I have absolutely no problem with getting shouty or a bit physical. It's not something I'm pleased about and it doesn't happen very often, but it's very much there.
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I'm always aware that there are, broadly speaking, two different ways to act: there is acting, and t...
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I'm always aware that there are, broadly speaking, two different ways to act: there is acting, and then there's being, and I'm always more interested in that.
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I think a good story's a good story and a good character's a good character.
I think a good story's a good story and a good character's a good character.
I don't do the whole L.A. nightlife thing.
I don't do the whole L.A. nightlife thing.
Sometimes you see things in a script, and it doesn't necessarily mean the director sees the same thi...
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Sometimes you see things in a script, and it doesn't necessarily mean the director sees the same things. And if you think you're going to be making a different film, then that's not gonna work.
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In some ways any film that you do has an artificiality about it. Even when you're doing the most kit...
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In some ways any film that you do has an artificiality about it. Even when you're doing the most kitchen-sinky, gritty, realistic scene you've still got 50 people standing around watching you with cameras and lights and things.
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I've always found it hard to say sorry.
I've always found it hard to say sorry.
I'm not a Christian.
I'm not a Christian.
My rule of thumb is that I want to do things I'd like to go and see myself.
My rule of thumb is that I want to do things I'd like to go and see myself.
My own daughter is a big fan of the 'Twilight' stories, the books.
My own daughter is a big fan of the 'Twilight' stories, the books.
I have a daughter, and fairies meant a lot to her growing up.
I have a daughter, and fairies meant a lot to her growing up.
Everyone deserves compassion.
Everyone deserves compassion.
When you look at all the miracles attributed to Jesus, they're all about change.
When you look at all the miracles attributed to Jesus, they're all about change.
We see death constantly on film.
We see death constantly on film.
For me, what makes life enjoyable is having a shared culture and shared references.
For me, what makes life enjoyable is having a shared culture and shared references.
A parent can seem very kind and gentle, but as any child knows, as soon as that parent gets stressed...
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A parent can seem very kind and gentle, but as any child knows, as soon as that parent gets stressed, they can suddenly turn and get a bit angry.
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I'm a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy - not so much horror because I get a bit scared.
I'm a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy - not so much horror because I get a bit scared.
I think parenthood is a wonderful balancing act. On the one hand, you want to spend as much time wit...
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I think parenthood is a wonderful balancing act. On the one hand, you want to spend as much time with your children as possible. On the other hand, you want to set an example for them to see that you're fulfilled in your life and in your work.
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There's a great deal to be said about talent and inspiration but hard work is the most important in ...
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There's a great deal to be said about talent and inspiration but hard work is the most important in terms of being able to do anything well.
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[on playing "Castor" in Tron (2010)] I wanted him to be like a sort of popular-culture jukebox progr...
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[on playing "Castor" in Tron (2010)] I wanted him to be like a sort of popular-culture jukebox program and, then underneath it all, there's something completely psychotic going on.
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If you can define what God is, I can tell you whether I believe in it.
If you can define what God is, I can tell you whether I believe in it.
I think when you work on a Woody Allen film the actors become a real company, probably more than on ...
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I think when you work on a Woody Allen film the actors become a real company, probably more than on any other film.
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I think it's quite tough for people like Tom Cruise where you can never really get away from being T...
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I think it's quite tough for people like Tom Cruise where you can never really get away from being Tom Cruise in something. You're so familiar to people and people know so much about your life.
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I'm definitely passionate and obsessed, and maybe that is a result of where I grew up. There was a r...
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I'm definitely passionate and obsessed, and maybe that is a result of where I grew up. There was a real anger to south Wales in the 1970s and '80s when industries were dismantled and people's livelihoods were being messed up. There was a lot of unemployment and depression. I look at actors like Burton and Hopkins, and what they have in common is a dark anger that comes out in their acting. They're at their best when they're letting all that anger go. I can also see that in me.
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I think being a parent is the most challenging thing you do. That's why we're here. It's at the hear...
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I think being a parent is the most challenging thing you do. That's why we're here. It's at the heart of what it is to be a human being. It's the ultimate experience because it questions everything about who you are. But it's difficult.
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My taste in watching things runs from dramas and low-budget films to high-end fantasy/science fictio...
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My taste in watching things runs from dramas and low-budget films to high-end fantasy/science fiction.
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The first thing, when I read the script, is that I need to care about what happens and feel compelle...
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The first thing, when I read the script, is that I need to care about what happens and feel compelled by the story and engaged by the characters. It needs to resonate with me, even if what the characters are going through is not something that I have experienced in my life. I have to feel like it has some sort of meaning to me.
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On ex Kate Beckinsale: Our relationship now is probably better than it ever was. And it helps that s...
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On ex Kate Beckinsale: Our relationship now is probably better than it ever was. And it helps that she actually likes Sarah (Sarah Silverman) more than she likes me.
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