Richard McCabe

I started with the piano-accordion and rebelled against it, but I could not afford piano lessons.

I don't think I have had a big break, although joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1986 opened up new horizons.

It's funny: I can never sleep between shows; I think it's because I don't like to switch the motor off. I'll probably have some chicken or pasta, though never the two together, and maybe go out for a quick wander around.

What's odd is that I've never been asked to do any comedy in film. That's something I could certainly do.

It is the nature of the business that you work unsociable, unpredictable hours and can get called away at a moment's notice to somewhere on the other side of the world. This can put a strain on home and personal life.

I worked as a clerical assistant at the Department of Health and Social Security for about three months before I went to drama school.

I went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art because it was the only drama school the social worker had ever heard of. Luckily, I got in at the first attempt.

It's funny: what one tends to think of as the best work you've done is not what other people think is the best you've done.

Broadway has a lot more razzle-dazzle than the West End. In terms of the everyday work routine, it's not different, but there's a cachet about Broadway that lends itself to more anticipation among audiences.

A live audience with live reactions feeds a different sort of acting that will then inform your film work, and vice versa.