People's hands fascinate me. It's tempting to look at a businessman's left hand and see if there's an indentation from a missing wedding ring. Or maybe there's a tan line and the skin is pressed down where's he's worked a ring off his finger.

There's so much in the 21st century that is stymied by bureaucracy and mediocrity and committee.

I'm interested in art for all. I don't want it to be only the sons and daughters of Tory MPs who get to see my plays.

Live a life less ordinary.

When are you ever settled enough to have kids?

I'm quite sensitive to people noticing me. There are times when I'm relaxed, then others when it does make me self-conscious.

I wish my 15-year-old self had known about my allure to the opposite sex!

The more charming person is the person who admits the other person is more charming.

I am a PR disaster because I talk too much.

Mystique is rare now, isn't it? There aren't that many enigmas in this modern world.

A woman who knows that she doesn't have to get all decked out to look good is sexy. A woman who can make you feel smart with her conversation skills is also sexy. I believe the sense of humor is important.

It is a wonderful thing to get married young and become a father.

Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame.

Landing the role of Stephen Hawking was the most positively surprising thing that has happened to me.

Metaphorically speaking, it's easy to bump into one another on the journey from A to B and not even notice. People should take time to notice, enjoy and help each other.

As an actor, you are aware of how a role can seep into your real life.

My first, big, silly role at school was as Arthur Crocker-Harris in Rattigan's 'The Browning Version,' where my job was to make school-masters' wives weep with recognition.

I never was obsessive about anything I watched when I was a kid, except maybe 'The A-Team' and 'Airwolf'... And I loved 'Knight Rider' and then later 'Baywatch.'

The armoury of having any academic education does not necessarily set you up for being a good or better actor.

I did a lot of acting at school and university, then I went to drama school. It was quite a normal route.

'Benedict' means 'blessed.' My parents liked the sound of the name and felt slightly blessed because they'd been trying for a child for a very long time.

New York City is crazy and beautiful and really close to my heart, and I've always had dear friends here - family, actually, I would say.

I had a real yearning to make use of the opportunities I had at school. When I heard about the gap year of teaching English at a Tibetan monastery, I knew I had to do something about it really quickly, otherwise it was going to get allocated.

When you freefall for 7,000 feet it doesn't feel like you're falling: it feels like you're floating, a bit like scuba diving.