My father was a doctor, so I thought I was going to be a doctor, too, but I couldn't do maths; I couldn't do science. I was hopeless at chemistry.

The curious thing is that I embraced homosexuality with as much joy and delight as I've embraced everything else in my life.

I don't have a very positive attitude towards rappers.

There's a strong melancholic streak in me.

I think I should be described as 'bi' - not bisexual, because I'm not - I'm gay - but 'binational' because I retain British nationality, and I add to it being Australian, which is like having your cake and eating it.

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, I would say, 'Lose weight.'

My feeling is that the English are naturally anti-Semitic.

Glenda Jackson called me an amateur in 1976 when we were in a play, 'The White Devil.' I've never forgiven her.

I want a comfortable old age and to be looked after - I have arthritis - and money is a factor.

It's very hard to talk about Palestine to Jewish people - they see me as a betrayer.

I think Britain is a bit class-ridden. People tend to be judged by how rounded their vowels are.

I don't think people realise how important it is to have your blood pressure checked. Stroke is so sudden, so catastrophic.

Confidence was the backbone of my upbringing. I was an only child, so I was spoilt, loved, and given an enormous amount of confidence by my parents.

I'm not sure I approve of theatre as a university course. I think theatre's something you do. I mean, literature is a subject; theatre is practical.

People tend to think I'm funny and fluffy, but I can switch on a sixpence from extreme happiness to utter despair. I'm aware that doesn't make it easy for people sometimes.

I used to get into bed with my mother every morning, almost until she died, and talk about everything. She was my closest confidante always. I had no secrets from her.

The main fear about growing old as an actor is not losing the looks. I never had any to speak of, and what I had I've still got, but losing the memory is another matter.

I love political cartoons from the 19th century, and whenever I complete a piece of acting work that I'm particularly proud of, be it a film or play, I treat myself to a picture by caricaturist James Gillray.

I wouldn't consider retiring to India: there are too many people, and it's difficult walking along the pavements. I'd love to spend two or three months a year there.

I enjoy finding the right word and giving each its full measure, its full space in a sentence.

It's so important that people know there was a time before the NHS. It makes them appreciate it more.

I know that a lot of my life is spent thinking about crisps and eating crisps and hating myself for eating crisps. It's just not worth it. Or it wouldn't be if crisps weren't so delicious.

With television, attention spans have been shortened. It's something we have to fight against: the dumbing down of the audience. To be part of an audience is a privilege. To be with the people on stage, to let them reach you. If you're doing a million other things, they won't reach you.

While researching my ancestry I have unearthed many skeletons. It would seem that I come from a long line of ne'er-do-wells, especially on my mother's side.