There aren't that many great female roles in Shakespeare - none that I'd be desperate to play.

People will always respond to high-class drama.

If I were to appear in a programme like 'Sex and the City,' I'm sure I'd be cast as the downtrodden one staying at home and having seven children while the others jet-setted around the world.

The women I play don't sit in the corner eating lettuce leaves and talking about what designer shoes they have.

I'm a big comfort eater, so if I'm feeling sorry for myself, I'll just stuff my face.

When I'm going to work, I often stop and wonder how I've got here. I don't mean literally, but just thinking back to when I first had the idea of being an actress, it seemed so unreal, so unlikely. People like me just didn't become actresses. Every new job I get comes as shock. It's almost as if I'm waiting to be found out.

When I was a little girl, there was this unbelievably cool female bus driver who'd work near us. I remember thinking I'd like to be her when I grew up.

We need a wider sense of community because we're all on the same planet.

I don't really engage with that world of technology, which might be to my detriment.

As a human, if you're in a scary situation, you pretty much forget about everything else! You just try and survive.

Food is important in working out a character. How she eats is a window into her temperament. If I think she likes her food, I'll put on a few pounds, or lose a few if she lives on her nerves.

I find these dramas fascinating - it's a world that many of us fortunately don't dip into. The legal system is all around us, but the majority of us don't have to go into a court, so it's a way into another world that is unusual.

When I'm not acting, I don't feel like an actor.

For me, I'm still always that kid from Bolton.

Everybody's in a situation; everybody has a story. It's about finding out why.

I think all things are political... How women are portrayed - that's a big thing for me. What is this role trying to say about women? Is this woman weak or victimised, and, if so, do we get to understand why?

Cooking, you can keep. I've not the slightest interest in it.

I love hoovering. People go to therapists; I've got a Hoover.

I think an actor's process should be very personal and private, and sometimes I have thought, 'Oh, please, put it away now.'

I take bits and pieces from everything. But I think the Method can be very isolating, and sometimes it's more about ego than playing the character truthfully.

Sometimes the darker the work, the more fun you can have.

People think I'm clever, which is hilarious. I'm like, 'When did this happen? People used to think I couldn't string a sentence together.'

I care about my work, but I don't care about getting it wrong. The more you do, the more you realise nobody's going to die.

I used to think the store detective had followed me all the way home and would knock on the door and go, 'Hello, is this your daughter? She's got three blue lipsticks and a moisturiser from Boots in her bag.' We just used to nick crap. Not even stuff we wanted.