Hayley Atwell

It's people's worst fantasy to see their partner kissing someone else, even though it's a job and it's not real.

My first job was a Greek tragedy, and ever since, one job just seemed to roll onto the next. I've been terribly lucky.

My real self, the self I have always been from a child, is a loner and nerd, slightly overweight, with a very heavy fringe. That is who I was as a kid. I don't think I will ever be anything other than that.

Skiing in Whistler was great fun. It's an extreme environment that's very different to my own and I had never skied before, so I had to learn to take on the elements quite bravely. It was nice to try something new.

The things that prey on my mind in London seem to disappear as soon as I find myself in a different environment. Survival mode kicks in.

I think it's always easier to play parts that you have something concrete that you can relate to.

Because I trained in theater, I always leave a film shoot feeling like I haven't done anything, like I just sat in front of the camera and whispered, essentially.

I'm deeply ambitious and I always have been.

I don't think I'm curvaceous. It's simply that most other actresses are really, stupidly tiny.

I love firing guns. It's an amazing feeling - so sexy and powerful.

Documenting trips makes them that much richer. I stick in train tickets and business cards from restaurants. It makes the whole experience poetic, describing the sights, smells and sounds around me. It means I can relive the holiday years later.

Mum wasn't at all religious, but she thought that going to the theatre was as important a ceremonial, communal experience that a person could have.