Actor

I'm still Sean that me mates went to school with, not Sean the film star. And that's the way I prefer to be.

At art college, I started to do music and then painting and drawing - and that would have been my ideal life, to be an artist and be paid for it, to be able to create stuff. I realized it was difficult, but I don't know if I had the application for it.

Sharpe is my favorite role of all that I've played. He's a very complex character. He knows that he's a good soldier, but he will always have to fight the prejudice of aristocratic officers because of his rough working-class upbringing. On the battlefield, he's full of confidence - but off it, he is unsure, a bit shy and ill at ease.

If you have a very good concept of your character, you can snap into it.

I love doing just nothing in my free time.

I guess when we're young, we all have that fascination with flying.

Listen to people and treat people as you find them. There's an inherent goodness in most people. Don't pre-judge people - that was me Mam's advice anyway.

I seem to be quite drawn to the medieval, magical fantasies, as it were.

Apprenticeships are the real nitty-gritty way of creating an efficient, skillful and vibrant workforce.

It's important to enjoy who you are and to appreciate things around you.

I've been fortunate enough to travel the world because of my career, but the downside has been spending long spells apart from my daughters.

As an actor, you're in the hands of producers and directors. It's important to find out who you're working with.

I used to love wildlife as a kid and being outside in the garden and the woods and the field and that stuff.

For some reason, the parts I play, like Boromir or Ned Stark, have a life online long afterwards. I keep seeing - what do you call them - memes?

I don't think I've ever had a real desire to pick out any particular role - I just see what comes up.

I think the amount of production value that was put into 'Game of Thrones' was incredible, and it's unlike anything I've seen on any other production, including 'The Lord of the Rings.'

There's only so long you can play the silent type standing in the background. 'GoldenEye' was good for that. I was the villain: James Bond was doing all the heavy lifting. I liked that.

I don't believe you just create a character out of thin air, there's always something of yourself you bring.

I don't do much on social media. I don't really want people knowing about my life.

All this focus on my private life is the most unappealing aspect of being an actor. I don't like it, but it goes with the territory, and I have to put up with it. I certainly don't set out to attract attention.