Ricky Gervais

That's the buzz for me, the creative process. An idea is never as good as when it's in your head. And then it's just how little you ruin it.

The great thing about being an artist is, we want our work to be seen.

Believe it or not, I work out regularly.

When I go to work, I don't want to make depressing, gritty, urban stories that are depressing to watch. I want to give people something to enjoy. When people think I'm a control freak and an ogre - which I am - it's only because I want my work to be accessible and Everyman, in a way.

As an artist, you want as many people as possible to see your work with no interference. And usually, I've gone onto fringe channels: BBC Two, HBO, Channel 4.

The best script in the world doesn't work perfectly when you actually act it out. That's a law. That's a given. So you have to play with everything. And the more fun you have with it, the better the finished product.