Mark Gatiss

“The thing is, horror is a big part of 'Sherlock Holmes.' Doyle also wrote a lot of great horror stories, so there's a lot more horror in 'Holmes' that people possibly think of. There's a lot of curses and mysticism and real scares.”

“The reason I wanted to do 'The First Men in the Moon' was that there is something so challenging in the combination of space travel and the Edwardian period.”

“It's a cliche, but it's true that all the fun lies in baddies, grotesques and comic roles.”

“At school I briefly wanted to be a palaeontologist, but I was no good at chemistry and physics.”

“I'm an actor and a writer, that's how I think of myself. Sometimes my time is divided equally, sometimes less equally, but that's what I do.”

“I grew up with low self-esteem. I didn't think I was very pretty. I had glasses, red hair and was generally quite a spod.”

“I've heard of such a legend!' I gasped. 'A child descended from a union between Christ and Mary Magda”

“Even though it's meant to be the season of jollity and goodwill, there's something delicious about the anticipation of a Christmassy ghost thrill.”

“Fear is an underrated emotion. And that's why I think it's very dangerous to try and cosset children from it. A healthy scare is as good as as a healthy laugh. In fact, they're two sides of the same coin. There is a desire to shield from the knocks and bumps of reality.”

“Sci-fi and fantasy used to be a TV staple throughout my childhood. Then it just stopped dead. It was seen as culty, a minority interest.”

“For some reason, I always get offered plays when I'm doing plays and then, if I stop doing them, people stop asking me.”

“'Misfits' is one of my favorite shows; I think it's a fantastic show.”

“Well, what was I to do? For the well-bred gentleman there was clearly only one recourse. I fucked him.”

“Even when I was a child, I always wanted to be older. I realised just in time that it's a mistake and to enjoy my youth while I had it.”

“One of the pleasures of the original 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' is how incredibly ghastly they are. The ugly sisters have their eyes pecked out by crows.”

“I think a lot of people who say they are bisexual aren't.”

“Grooming-wise, it is now a constant battle as I progressively turn into my father. I have to keep on top of ear and nose hair - things you never believe will happen to you. Suddenly I have a shaving brush in my ear and I don't know where it's come from, and the more hair I take the out, the more it surges back.”

“I imagine John Watson thinks love’s a mystery to me, but the chemistry is incredibly simple and very destructive. When we first met, you told me that a disguise is always a self portrait, how true of you, the combination to your safe – your measurements. But this is far more intimate. This is your heart, and you should never let it rule your head. You could have chosen any random number and walked out of here today with everything you worked for. But you just couldn’t resist it, could you? I’ve always assumed that love is a dangerous disadvantage. Thank you for the final proof.”

“Europe is so much the home of Horror, with its myths of vampires, werewolves, witchcraft and the undead, yet it's like those myths were exported to Hollywood, leaving Europe the room to develop a new tradition as a way of processing its traumas, particularly the two world wars.”

“I am a gay man who loves James Bond films and snooker - all kinds of working-class pursuits.”