Raza Jaffrey

“'Homeland' really is one of those shows where they start to write more or less depending on what's kind of going on in a relationship between characters.”

“Everyone knows 'Smash' is about musical numbers, and everyone knows we have fantastic dance sequences and great performances.”

“It's very different working on stage to film; the immediacy is there on stage.”

“Some actors - myself included - like to know where your character's going: you like to know what the arc is for the character so that you can plan where you're going to give beats for this, that, and the other and give the audience what they want. But on 'Homeland,' you do the opposite.”

“I miss London on nights in June or in October.”

“'Homeland' is not a sensationalist show.”

“Work aside, I think would have ended up in the U.S. because I like being here a lot. I really do.”

“Everyone thinks with 'Smash,' because it looks glossy and big, they think they're spending a fortune, and they think it's taking weeks to shoot.”

“I think fidelity is absolutely important, especially in the acting industry, which is littered with broken relationships because people are away filming for months.”

“There isn't really a theatre culture in L.A., which is odd when there are so many brilliant actors there.”

“When I did musicals in London a number of years ago, I was in a workshop scenario for a year or more with 'Bombay Dreams.'”

“I am in the habit, like most British people, of holding the door open for people. But in the U.S., people don't understand it. You get odd looks or doors slammed in your face.”

“One of the things I miss most about the U.K. is political TV, and I have one of those little gadgets, which means I can download British programmes illegally - that's why it's a guilty pleasure.”

“I'm quite handy with a screwdriver. I like making and fixing things.”

“When you turn up for work, especially with looking down the barrel of a show, you're hoping the person you're acting opposite of is going to be on your kind of crazy wavelength.”

“There are so few shows that are willing to take risks with their characters in the way that 'Homeland' does. And yet, the audience still comes back and loves those characters.”

“No one was very surprised when I decided to become an actor.”