Aisling Bea

“Nothing chills out the soul like the comfort of tea and a potato.”

“My father's death has given me a lot. It has given me a lifelong love of women, of their grittiness and hardness - traits that we are not supposed to value as feminine. It has also given me a love of men, of their vulnerability and tenderness - traits that we do not foster as masculine or allow ourselves to associate with masculinity.”

“I buy so much stuff from charity shops.”

“Things are only daunting if they are very far away from your main skillset.”

“There was a stage in my career, especially with standup, where I felt, because I didn't know why I was doing well, that anyone who would tell me anything; I was sort of like, 'What did they say? Yeah, I'll take that advice.' Now I'm a bit more careful who I choose to listen to.”

“When you go to a restaurant, sometimes you want to go to Heston Blumenthal's where you hear the sound of the sea while you're eating one tiny thing for a hundred quid. And then sometimes you just want toast. You just. Want. To eat. Toast. Sometimes you have to be okay with the fact that in terms of comedy, I'm just like, maybe, 'chips and a side.'”

“When you see people getting involved in Comic Relief, especially in tough times or times of recession, that's very positive.”

“In this modern world, where we have filters to make us look as nice as possible, it's good to take off the filter and go, 'I could look stupid here.' You'll learn something and be better for it.”

“I've got a short torso and long legs, so I tend to wear longer tops and things that sit on my hips.”

“Up to the age of five, I wanted to be a builder. My neighbour, a builder called Paddy White, would come in for a cup of tea with my mother. I'd assemble all the pillows together at interesting angles, thinking he would spot my talent at a raw young age and take me on as an apprentice.”

“Brexit is not ideal. I'm famously not a Brexit negotiator, but relations between Ireland and the U.K. have been getting stronger, and a big part of that has been trade and feeling like sister countries within the E.U. I don't think it will affect the 'vibe' of relations, but it will have a significant effect on trade and business.”

“Northern Irish people tend to have this sharp, dark sense of humour.”

“My job is to make people laugh.”

“If I told my 16-year-old self that, at 34, I'd have no kids and not be in a movie in America, I wouldn't think I was still successful.”

“If y,ou do buy shoes from wherever you like wear the hell out of them, and go to your cobbler when the heels go and get them reheeled for a few quid.”

“Don't be afraid to look silly. You are only holding yourself back if you are afraid of looking silly or failing.”

“You change things by focusing your energy on doing your job well.”

“Unfortunately, 'How You Remind Me' is the song most perfectly suited to my voice.”

“I've never once in my life had a tan - I'm basically a ghost!”

“Songs with simple lyrics really take off in Irish nightclubs.”