Christopher Timothy

“I get stopped in the street now and asked, What do I know you from?' My first reaction is to say All Creatures' and they say no. I say Doctors' and they say That's it' because they are so young. I have no complaints.”

“Ideally, you have a company of actors who care more about the product than they do about themselves. In my experience, actors who believe the opposite - that they are the people who matter rather than the show - are rare in the extreme.”

“The whole of Yorkshire has been known throughout the world for various reasons, not least because of Wuthering Heights, but it was James Herriot I think that put Yorkshire on the international map and we are part of that, which is a great honor really.”

“I was fascinated by puppets as a kid and one I had when I was eight or nine, a skeleton, is now hanging in my office.”

“At the time I discovered that I had prostate cancer, it was not long after my first wife had died, so my children had lost their mum. I felt that to tell them that I had prostate cancer, while I knew that I had it and there was a threat of some sort, I felt that it would be wise not to make things worse for them.”

“I thought I might get a part as a farmer. I knew about the books but I hadn't read them. A few weeks later, an actor whispered in my ear, 'It sounds like you're in line for James Herriot.' I read every book in about 48 hours.”

“I was born in Bala, North Wales, and was sent to a private tutor. I seem to remember walking to the tutor by myself at the age of four - and sometimes going into a church school on the way and being allowed to stay until someone noticed.”

“My agent suggested me to EastEnders casting director, Julia Crampsie, who I already knew. I'm delighted that Julia said, He's not old enough is he?' My agent told her how old I really am and she said Oh'!”

“You have to remember: I grew up in the 1950s, the era of cowboy movies and rock 'n' roll.”

“I'm delighted there's a younger audience discovering James Herriot.”

“A lot of people went to posh universities, but I left at 17 to work for three years at Frank Newton's Gentleman's Outfitters in Shrewsbury, where I gained a professional qualification in how to measure a suit.”

“I saw the police thriller The Blue Lamp' and remember realizing the power that Dirk Bogarde as the gangster exerted over the audience simply by his expressions in the close-ups. I could see how the people around me reacted to him and realized that I wanted to have the same effect.”

“I was never much of a networker.”

“Birmingham is my second home.”

“I spent a week in Wensleydale with a real vet called Jack Watkinson, living with him and going out on calls at 4 A. M. Sticking my hand up cows' bums became second nature. I got really good at it.”

“I love walking down Beale Street, which is home to countless cafes, restaurants and bars. Every bar has a live band, and as you walk along the street in the evening you can hear raw blues and rock n' roll spilling out of them.”

“One of the reasons I didn't tell people I had cancer was I thought it might affect work.”

“My first role was on Broadway from 1963-64 in Chips With Everything.' It was very well reviewed but not very well attended.”

“My dad was the original announcer on The Goon Show.'”

“When you get to a certain age any big change is hard to deal with.”