Chris O'Dowd

When I was a kid, I wanted to be serious, like Daniel Day-Lewis. No one really dreams of being a comic actor, do they? Now I realise how stupid that is - and it's because comic acting isn't taken seriously enough. It's a discipline. You know instantly - either you're funny and getting the laughs, or you're not.

Comedy writing is taking the brief thought and going with it.

I get asked all the time if I want to do more dramatic acting, and I really doubt that dramatic actors get asked if they want to do more comedies. I don't really know why that is.

In comedy it helps if there's a friendly atmosphere on the set.

I think there's something in the fact that it's hard to be good looking and funny. You have to have an oddball quality; people have to sympathise with you to find you funny.

I come from a musical kind of family.

What I think improv is great for is making dialogue more natural.

I'm probably working on three different scripts at any time, so there's never a time where I've got nothing to do.

I'd like to think that I'm getting slightly more mature as time goes on, but I don't know if my fiancee would necessarily agree.

I feel like I need to start wearing a T-shirt saying 'This is not a photo opportunity'. People are so lovely but you do find that when you're out you spend 40% of your time posing for photographs.

Social media is great, I guess, but it feels like technology is the sapper of innocence.

Being at the genesis of the creative process is definitely something I want to keep doing. It's just such a great buzz.