I did The 'Acid Test' at the Royal Court, by Anya Reiss, who's the most wonderful, amazing female writer. She was only 19 when she wrote it. She wrote it about three girls in a flat on a Friday night, and that was magic because it was so rare to have three girls in your age group in a play. It just doesn't happen.

I thought, 'If I go to uni, I can read and watch people and take many different subjects - take philosophy modules - and have time to travel in the summers,' which I did. I thought, 'I hope this will make me a better actor,' and it did.

So many times, you pick up a script, and you think, 'OK, so she's the sexy one,' or, 'She's the ex-girlfriend.'

Acting is a very weird job. But if you know you're an actor, you just have to do it. You can't do anything else.

I love historical romance, absolutely love it.

I know you've been married to the same woman for 69 years. That is marvellous. It must be very inexpensive.

I don't write as much erotic romance as I used to, but I think that's just because my writing style has changed.

There should be in the life of every married couple a continual building of the sacrament.