Stephen Frears

Film schools didn't exist when I was growing up. I learned by working with clever people. Good writers and cinematographers.

This black hole that people talk about in my career in the '70s, when I didn't make any films - in retrospect, what I was doing was learning my job.

As a director, my job is to protect. I protect scripts, actors, cameramen, designers.

I've always found poverty a source of strength.

I like making films about different cultures. I'm interested in things that I've never encountered before. I try to put myself in the audience's position.

I'm a Republican, but I like the Queen. Like everyone else, I'm sentimental about the Queen.

I don't generally believe in people being knighted.

I can't write; I don't think I'm even particularly good at telling a writer what's good or what's missing. So, actually having someone who can do that is a godsend.

There's one thing now that I experience every day when I'm making a film. I get up and think to myself, 'Am I going to be able to do it today?' I figure as long as I have that fear, I'll be alright.

I teach film directing, inasmuch as you can. It's not really possible to teach film direction, but I sit there as a sort of testimony of experience and know-how, I suppose.

I had a somewhat charmed life. I was brought up at the BBC. I did meet so many people cleverer than myself in those years. Often, I was slapped down and made to feel not good enough.

I remember reading the script for 'Dangerous Liaisons' and thinking that I could quite happily spend the rest of my life watching this film; the story and the writing were so wonderful.