Helen McCrory

Literature is reflecting what is happening in life. More and more women are having relationships with younger men. It's partly that women are not losing their figures now.

I love London, and it's a privilege for my children to grow up here.

I really love my food. My favourite thing is artichokes. I am not so much interested in desserts or chocolate, though. I also like to cook with my husband Damian.

I love dressing up. But I'm very low-maintenance; the week before an event, I'll choose something as quickly as possible and that's that. If I can do my own hair and make-up, even better. I like it to be fun.

There are a lot of little lessons that can be taught around the home without sitting a child down and boring them to death with your philosophy of life!

I was very lucky. I left college, and Richard Eyre was in charge of the National Theatre. I was offered the lead in 'The Seagull' with no experience and went on to do five plays there.

I was lucky to learn early in life that you need money for food and shelter, but there's no ambition in having money in the bank for the sake of it!

I feel as though my life is bathed in golden sunlight. And the really wonderful thing is that I know it.

What interests me about life most is people, and the why of the world. That's what theatre looks at: it examines life, and gives it a cohesiveness that life doesn't have.

People are not considerate of others. They tend not to consider themselves as all living together, but see themselves only as individuals.

I'm a very positive person. My grandmother taught me that happiness is both a skill and a decision, and you are responsible for the outcome.

Theatre is liberating because it only works if it's truthful - that's what it requires. That's not true of film: the camera does lie.