Actress

I suppose I have played a lot of put-upon women, but it's never bothered me. They've never been weak - they've always got steel in them.

As a child, I thought, 'Once I am a grown-up, there will be no more fear, no more worries,' and it turns out that's not true.

I had a lovely, feral, free childhood - out and then come back when you're hungry or it gets too dark. I feel slightly cruel that I'm not offering my children the same.

I can't bear kissing scenes.

I was nervous about meeting Charlotte Rampling, as she's a proper legend, but she is just so sweet.

I started off in comedy, but that's just where I got my work. I've always been an actor.

I do go into things thinking, 'Right. I'm going to enjoy this.'

I find Shakespeare terrifying. When Simon Russell Beale does a speech, I understand every word of it, but if I did the same speech, people would be going, 'Huh? What?'

If a script is good, you are 10 steps into the part just reading it. But my choices are not all down to my taste. It is about people you have worked with before.

In general, I'm rubbish in heels. I love them, and I own a lot because it's like being in a sweet shop: they're pretty. But I'm not good in them. I don't walk nicely in heels.

I can see why people keep having babies. We were looking at a school for my youngest this morning, and there were all these little boys and girls. So sweet. And then the teenagers walk past, and, my God, they're enormous, and I bet they don't kiss their mummies. I'm just going to force my children to remain lovely.

Everything with me is pretty close to the surface, but having kids has completely ruined my emotional equilibrium.

When you've got children, it's easy to do that thing of keeping a tally of who woke up earliest and whose turn it is to put them to bed. But I think the important thing is to appreciate and love each other and to show that appreciation.

I'm always keen to have more training as a charity patron.

I eat a bit too much; my teeth aren't perfect; I've got eye bags. I look like a normal 39-year-old woman - but in England, no one minds that.

I always assumed I'd be a terribly patient mum but it turns out I'm not!

I have done Botox, and I loved it.

I was always pretty ambitious, although it probably helps that I can't do anything else - apart from cleaning lavatories. But I remember my mum once said, 'I suppose you'll give it a year and see if you can make it as an actress?' And I said, 'No Mum, I think I'll give it 10.'

You see thousands of films you forget the minute you come out of the cinema, don't you? Because they don't mean anything. It's the tough ones like 'Breaking the Waves' and 'Nil By Mouth' that stay with you, that you never forget. I'd like to leave a few of those behind if possible.

I've always done drama, but I suppose 'Tyrannosaur' was a bit of a watershed moment for me. It was like when Kathy Burke did 'Nil By Mouth' - suddenly, people were saying, 'Oh, she can do that, too.'