Gemma Chan

“Getting stuck in a plane for four hours on the tarmac on the hottest day of summer in Italy - it was like being trapped in a boiling tin can.”

“I've always admired the work that Save the Children does to improve the lives of children and their families all over the world.”

“My parents thought they were getting an accountant and a lawyer. Instead, they ended up with a PR and an actress.”

“As a human, you don't have to be too conscious of your movement. I think it's tougher playing a robot than a human, and even tougher playing a robot who begins showing traces of being a human.”

“I think 'Humans' is more about provoking the idea that there is a class of beings in society that we treat as less than... as subordinates; people who we treat badly and take for granted. Often they are the same people who work hard to keep the city going. We need to think about that.”

“I found a place under a bridge in Goa where you could have fresh crab and beer. It was nothing complicated, but delicious.”

“I do feel a responsibility to try and raise awareness and to help tell the stories of those who may not otherwise have a voice.”

“I would have done it happily, but to be a Bond girl isn't everything I aim for as an actress.”

“Italy - I love the late-night culture, hanging around the square at midnight with everyone, catching up and having a drink.”

“When you think of things like medicine, people who have lost limbs now have a chance to have a limb replaced that is connected to the brain that they can actually control with their mind. That's amazing.”

“All of us have a lot of physical tics that we don't realize that we're doing subconsciously.”

“Making a pretty picture, an image, is a completely different thing from acting to camera.”

“I visited a Child Friendly Space where children take part in structured play and development activities in a safe environment. These are designed to develop their cognitive ability as well as address their psychosocial needs. As I watched them sing songs and take part in games, it struck me that these kids could be anywhere in the world.”

“As a means to an end, modelling was good, but I had to distance myself from it when I started working as an actress, because even though I wasn't high-profile, I found in my first write-ups that I'd be referred to as 'model Gemma Chan.'”

“Save the Children is also working to improve accommodation for refugee families living outside settlements. I met a family which had been living in a substandard building without windows, doors or a toilet.”

“I loathe exercise. And I hate gyms. I've never had a personal trainer.”

“From my experience, I would say no: actors of East Asian descent don't get the opportunities white actors do. I know that's inherently a problem in a country that produces a lot of period drama, but I have to fight so hard to get parts that don't have something to do with China.”

“I avoid flying Ryanair if I can. I know that everyone gives them a hard time, but there's a good reason for that.”

“I've been fortunate in my career, but, yes, there have been many times when I have been told my audition has been cancelled because they're only going to see white people.”

“I've heard about productions where it still happens: yellow face, taping up the eyes. It's hard to talk about it in a constructive way.”