Rob James-Collier

“If I had a comfort blanket, I wouldn't have been as passionate and driven.”

“The reason I'm an actor and am trying to make my way in drama is to move people, to affect people, to gain a response - so these people who come up to you in the street are your audience.”

“Most actors will tell you that villains are the most interesting to play.”

“My dad doesn't watch 'Coronation Street.' But my mum is a massive fan. I'd like to think my dad will watch it for a few token episodes, as I'm in it.”

“Working on 'Downton Abbey' is amazing, but there's an ensemble cast of between 18 and 21 actors. With 'Love Life,' there are two couples and a few other key characters. As a smaller unit, you've got to take more responsibility - at the same time, you can have more ownership of the direction it's going in.”

“It's hard being gay in Edwardian times.”

“Obviously, I play a villain in 'Downton Abbey'. As an actor, you want to get a variety of roles, so to be offered the part of Joe, it was perfect.”

“Beverly Hills is too intimidating. Everyone's got lovely teeth, so you don't want to smile. Everyone's ripped, so you start working out at 4 in the morning and eating egg white omelets.”

“I would like to do theatre because it scares me, and I think you should do things that scare you.”

“I've swam with great white sharks.”

“I'm a working class lad. So at 25, and with no-one in our family having any theatrical inclination, when I said, 'I'm going to scratch all that and become an actor,' I may as well have said I was going to be a Premiership footballer for the chance I'd have.”