James D'arcy

“There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don't necessarily want to be like them. I'm too happy being myself.”

“It's difficult to gauge that. With a bad guy you just know you're bad. To play a nice guy is harder - unless you are a very nice person like me of course.”

“There is an odd sense of responsibility attached to appearing in a drama about a real piece of history. A work of fiction is fun.”

“When I left school I went to Australia for a year and worked in the drama department of a school in Perth.”

“I went further and further back through the centuries to get a sense of perspective but now at least I understand why Irish history evokes such strong passions and emotions.”

“I'm attracted to seeing how different I can be, pushing the boat out.”

“I'm more interested in enjoying my life and looking after my family than being hugely successful.”

“Baddies always do get the best lines, that's the honest truth.”

“It felt good doing a physical job, and going home each evening feeling like I had really done a day's work.”

“Although this is a fictitious story the history is real. You don't want to re-write history but you certainly want to portray events and characters as realistically as you can.”

“I talked to everyone about the project: actors and extras, members of the crew and passers by.”

“I find it incredibly romantic that people should fight for a cause they believe in and be prepared to die for it.”

“It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become an actor.”

“I don't have any expectations as an actor, and being rich and famous is not my driving force.”

“The good guy only gets the girl in a soppy way.”

“I'm not really very ambitious.”

“I'm not really very ambitious. I'm more interested in enjoying my life and looking after my family than being hugely successful.”

“The reason I wanted to be an actor is that I don't want to play me for the rest of my life and make money out of that.”

“Now here I am playing a passionate young Irishman who would die for what he believes in.”