Jim Broadbent

“As a young actor, I was advised to bide my time. Back then, there weren't good roles for someone like me. There were handsome leading men and character actors for smaller supporting roles. But I was told to hang in there, and it was good advice. We're all character actors now. Even a handsome man is a character actor at my age.”

“I'm a child of that, the 'Bonnie and Clyde' to 'Raging Bull' period, you know. Those are the films that heightened my interest in acting and movies and everything.”

“I like being able to go to the supermarket and go on the Tube and have an ordinary domestic life. I'd hate to have to protect myself. I'm quite lucky that I can carry on without any intrusions. I don't get given a hard time by anyone.”

“In today's politics, it would be good to have politicians who are more upfront about what they felt and actually not trying to bend with every breeze. They're infuriating, all of them.”

“Even for people who live in the country, there is a trepidation now about going outside to play. But it never occurred to us to be fearful when we were young.”

“I love a really good storyline.”

“It's so easy as a child to identify with 'Winnie-the-Pooh.' The humour doesn't talk down at you. It's a very grown up humour - a little bit ironic, a bit self deprecating.”

“Oh, I think I've been entirely selfish with my career. I've done what I wanted to do, and not put myself out for anyone else particularly.”

“A make-up artist I know polished her Oscar and it lost its lustre. But if you don't polish it, it doesn't tarnish.”

“I like reflecting the culture I understand best, spotting the idiosyncrasies of British people and revealing them to an audience in a way that amuses is what I find fun.”

“If you're playing any real person, live or dead, you certainly have a responsibility to produce that reputation in some way.”

“We've all got a black book of missed opportunities.”

“I see myself as a small 'l' liberal, but not coalition liberal, necessarily.”

“When you research someone, you actually get beyond your own preconceptions and become aware of the human being other than the image. You become empathetic and sympathetic in turn.”

“The films I enjoy seeing are those that reveal lives I was unaware of... in different cultures or whatever.”

“It's fatal to talk about acting. It sounds faintly ridiculous if you start analysing it.”

“Even as a child, you can recognise the innocence of Piglet or the strange adult qualities of Eeyore. You just know you are with friends and family.”

“You can't be angsty all day or else it becomes a sort of pale angst.”

“I'm not that comfortable with actors receiving honours, partly because I think they ought to go to those who really help others.”

“In Hollywood films everything is tidied up at the end with clean lines and clean character definitions. It's sort of unsatisfying.”