A biography for Rachael Stirlinghasn’t been written yet.
“My mum says I never had tantrums. I had elongated and very complicated tea parties in my cot, and I was sort of talking, I guess, quite young, and I would say, 'Oh, how lovely to see you, do come in!' I'd have these theatrical tea parties by myself with my imaginary friends.”
“I was not one of those children hanging on Ma's coat-tails following her round sets. I'd go to the theatre after school if she was working, but I didn't even know what an agent was.”
“I was brought up playing games and still do ferociously. I once played Connect Four on set with Bill Nighy and Richard E. Grant for so long that the assistant director got cross.”
“I suppose I'm what you'd called a character actress, so, often, my characters are quite extreme.”
“I used to worry about the lack of roles for women over 40. But suddenly, everyone has realised it's interesting to have a drama with a woman at the centre of it.”
“I can't think of anything better than being considered a poster girl for intelligent women.”
“Having brothers - I love that. They don't take any rubbish, and they beat you up if you've been misbehaving.”
“I take pleasure in discovering resourcefulness inside me.”
“I was a bit of a backstage baby, but I wasn't at all precocious, and there was never a light bulb moment when I decided to go on the stage.”
“My pa is a brilliant, charming man. We go out and play together and laugh a lot. He has a twinkle in his eye.”
“I always hate it when I hear actors talking about the process of what they do, so I'll keep my thoughts to myself.”
“I love radio interviews; it's all about multitasking and, like all good women, I can do that.”
“There's a bit of a Bertie Wooster about my father. He's very easy-going, he never judges people, and we get on brilliantly.”
“I seem to be able to go from part to part without being recognised, which I like. When I was little, I resented it with every fibre of my being when Ma was recognised. Another way of looking at celebrity, though, is it's being famous for being brilliant at something.”
“I know I'm not a hotly in-demand movie star, but I'm good at my job. And I want to keep working for the next 40 years.”
“I suppose I'm quite manly in lots of ways, but I like to be made to feel like a woman.”
“My dad's Scottish, and I always used to say I was, too.”
“Not to harp on too much about Ma, but it's a misconception that she is formidable. She calls herself a patsy.”
“Just laughing a lot would be the most important thing in a relationship to me. And a smattering of trust. A dollop of laughter - and an icing of trust.”
“The theatre always felt like home, and it does to this day. When I do screen acting, I miss telling a story from beginning to end, as you do nightly on stage. I love that relationship with the audience and how it changes each night.”