The irony is that, coming from a white-collar British background, I tend to play blue-collar Americans!

I love going for a swim. Growing up in England, anywhere with a pool seems like the height of glamour to me.

If you pick up an eighteenth-century play, at the top it says 'The Argument,' and then you have a list of characters, and then you have the play. I was just always struck by that - that, of course, good drama is about conflict.

People need revelation, and then they need resolution.

This bizarre industry presents so many paths of temptation. If you don't have some kind of foundation, typically from family, then it will be difficult to deal with.

Neither of my parents are involved in theater or acting, but they are very artistic. My mom is a painter; she's an artist. She went to school for fashion illustration. My father is into collecting antiques and fine wine, so they're both really creative people.

As a child, l was fascinated by gemstones in the way that small children are fascinated by dinosaurs or trains. Stones seem very physical and look like sweets. You can look at them microscopically and imagine things about them.

Some of the best dishes I can remember are from my childhood. Sometimes, whenever I want to feel like a kid again, I just whip them up for the family.