"I sometimes think that theatre is a torture." — Juliet Stevenson

There's still a massive inequality between the genders. If you look at the trajectory of a male actor's career, there's no hesitation or hiatus. But women after the age of 35 to 40 are rarely placed in the centre of the story.

I'm hardly Hollywood material - they're interested in youth and perfection and I lay no claims to either. It's not a place that's particularly interested in talent.

I never have time to myself; it's the one thing about my life I would probably hope to change.

If I could have any artist's work on my sitting room wall it would probably be by Van Gogh or Picasso.

I wouldn't even begin to presume that the talent of an able actor is anything like the talents of a prodigious musician.

I have a wardrobe full of expensive clothes, but wear the same two T-shirts. I've never found a look.

Sometimes I think it'd be fun to do a completely different job for a while. You've got one life and you do the same job for the whole of it, and you think - was that a good use of a life?

It is intensely frustrating. The longer you live, the more interesting life gets, and yet many of the parts involve carrying trays and putting lamb chops down in front of the leading man.

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I sometimes think that theatre is a torture.