I still consider myself working class. I know my circumstances have changed dramatically since I was growing up back in Birkenhead.

I was Popeye mad when I was a kid, and I'd eat spinach until the cows came home.

I like working with kids; they keep you going.

I don't go for glamour roles.

When I travel I always try to see shows from a local group, and with the Internet it's important to have a global vision of music.

I was always interested in acting and writing, and I honestly thought I'd make my name as a scriptwriter one day. But somehow, I ended up in London in the early '70s, and that's where I had my David Bowie adventure.

Being sensitive to the problem of women is just another symptom of the quality of movies: I don't think you can do anything that's very sensitive. Everything's sort of broad strokes and big gestures - adventure things that boys, guys want to see.

My writing is a combination of three elements. The first is travel: not travel like a tourist, but travel as exploration. The second is reading literature on the subject. The third is reflection.