How would you compare Polanski or Kubrick? I try not to do any comparisons.

If you meet somebody who’s spent any length of time in prison, you don’t let your guard down. Ever. And really, that’s what that was about-if you open up too much, you’re asking to get your teeth kicked in.

Certainly coming to America has been extraordinary.

I started off on stage because it was the only work I could get. I haven’t been back for 11 years. I think any stage experience is good experience, as far as being an actor is concerned.

I’d seen musicians act, and it scares me. And they make more money than me.

I have come close to producing films. But generally by the time they hit the screen, there’s about 50 people with producer credits, so what’s the point. I usually find scripts I like with no money attached and take them to producers that I know and try to raise finance.

I can’t do anything else. So if this falls through, I’m screwed.

I’m a workaholic.

I don’t care to analyze acting. On the other hand there is a fascination because distributors are putting out British films. You get films here with great performances you’ll never see again. Why compare. We should go after the businessmen.

Ilike ideas writers have that I might not have written. Writers are there for a reason… to write for me.

How would you compare Polanski or Kubrick? I try not to do any comparisons.

A character I would love to play is Iago, from Othello.

I’m sick of very white teeth and lots of gymnasium practice. I’m bored, you know, send in the next one. I wanted a real man that I could believe was my brother, my father, you know, my next-door neighbor – a real person.

Well, I think first it was rare for me to do anything that had any kind of a romantic note to it.

The first role I ever did… I played a Nazi skinhead.

I will watch everything that Cary Grant did, or Kubrick made or Bergman.

Bring back dueling, I say. Drive-by sword fight.

Everyone is an abused child, if you think about what governments do.

I think every director has a different take, some are good, some are bad. The directors you get on best with sometimes don’t make the best films, so who’s to say who is right.

You read a script and its based on ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’, and it goes right in the bin.

There is less pressure as a character actor. It generally means that you will be acting for all of your life, which is my intention. It is not my intention to just be a rich and famous person, that would be pretty boring.

There just seems to be more acceptance now of… other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.

I miss my family, and I like being a tourist when I go back.

When you know youre whoring it hurts. I have kids. I’m not going to run down an actor for doing this.

Doing comedy for film is always a challenge because you are in the hands of the editor after the fact. I am hoping I can do some more soon, I enjoy doing comedy.

The more varied the characters, the better, as far as I’m concerned.