A biography for Roger Allamhasn’t been written yet.
“Lots of people are astounded that I was in the first cast of 'Les Miserables.' Possibly because I look so incredibly youthful.”
“It's true you can end up as rich as Croesus but the thing I enjoy about acting is doing lots of different kinds of things.”
“I had done some acting at school, but I wasn't particularly good at it. What inspired me was going to the Old Vic in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the National Theatre was based there.”
“Judi Dench told me to shut up once. I was probably going on and on about something, in the way that I do sometimes, so she was being a good friend.”
“I played Benedick in 'Much Ado About Nothing' nearly 30 years ago at the RSC, alongside Susan Fleetwood as Beatrice, and I loved every minute.”
“The acting bug first bit when I went to see 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' at the Old Vic.”
“Opera requires an enormous commitment. You must devote your whole life to producing that extraordinary sound.”
“I was nervous about a Corbyn government, although I would have supported it because a lot of the policies were good. I was far more nervous of a Conservative government but here it is, we've just got to deal with it.”
“The things that impress you when you're a child have an incredible influence on your life.”
“Of course I would like to be more famous. It offers more career possibilities. But then it can prove restrictive. Plus you get hassled when you go shopping.”
“It's important to take risks and challenge yourself. That's why I went into acting, really.”
“The main thing about the Globe is there's 700 people all standing right in front of you.”
“You are in a strange world in pantomime, where you are allowed to step out and talk to the audience and do silly gags. Sometimes I feel like a cartoon character.”
“I'm not conscious of having changed my accent.”
“It's glorious to get all your food shopping without having to set foot in Tesco.”
“I don't think there are roles that would attract me to do a long run in the theatre.”
“I don't get mobbed in the street or bothered. Well, people do stop and say nice things. 'I like 'Endeavour,' or, 'I loved The Thick of It.'”
“I live near a beautiful park, and when I walk around it, the beauty of it can take your breath away. It makes you realize there is something bigger, certainly bigger than me.”
“I came to theatre as a teenager by going to the National Theatre when it was at the Old Vic and sitting on padded seats in the gallery for 15 pence, which was the price of a bus fare.”
“I suppose there's a particular kind of efficiency about coming from a theatre tradition. You don't make a fuss, and you're cheap.”