From an egotistical point of view, I'm always interested in roles that push me as a person. I'm interested in humans as animals and as products of society.

I came to acting quite late. I tried not to be an actor.

People in the U.K. absolutely love my character in 'Downton,' and in equal measure, people absolutely hate him, and that's all I wanted.

To be honest, I'm not even thinking about America. If I was to start thinking about the enormity of 'Downton' and the size of the project, then I wouldn't be able to be very truthful to the work. I would start to watch myself too much. I'm not even thinking about it. Who knows what will happen.

The computer has played a role in destroying creativity with the Photoshop. Everybody thinks they're a designer.

In the writing of poetry we never know anything for sure. We will never know if we have 'trained' or 'practised' enough. We will never be able to say that we have reached grade eight, or that we have left the grades behind and are now embarked on an advanced training.

My dad is a lawyer and my mom is an artist. So growing up was exactly what it sounds like - strict household but a lot of creativity. They are so psyched that I get to make music for a living. My parents rule.

I'm just a middle-class farm boy from Dodge City, Kansas. And I always thought that acting was art, writing was art, music was art, painting was art, and I've tried to keep that cultural vibe to my life.