Politics is real. It has an impact on people's lives. It's harder to quantify the impact art has. Personally, I oscillate between two extremes. Some days I think it's very important. Other days I think it isn't important at all.

There are ways of staying under the radar here, and they're effective to a degree. But if you're an ambitious person and you're confident your career is moving in the direction you want it to, you know the attention is only going to become greater and greater.

I did a play in school. Then Dramsoc became the centre of my universe.

Every time you play a different role with different actors in different locations, you’re developing a greater level of comfort in the act of doing this, which is why you’re getting better all the time."

I would be happy if they just gave out nominations and there weren't any Oscars. But winning them is definitely an experience - to get up there and make a speech. Every film is hard work, and a few lucky people do get Oscars for what they do, and it's recognition for all that hard work on a certain level.

You can never be happy; you can never be satisfied with what you have. You always need to have that want to achieve more, and I definitely want that success.

By turning negatives into positives, losing into a journey to winning, I have been able to overcome the odds that were against me into motivation for my success.

I thought I'd be a success even back in the mailroom at William Morris.