Rose McIver

“I don't really have a drive toward being a director at all. Not that I wouldn't rule it out, but I just don't think my instincts lie necessarily in a very visual way. But I am very interested in storytelling, narrative and character development, so writing is something that I absolutely want to do.”

“When I was about five, I could do a vaguely decent American accent - straight through kind of decent - and 'Hercules' needed some kids. I definitely wasn't a good actor.”

“The best way to study to be an actor is to interact genuinely with the people around you and observe and listen.”

“I'm really fortunate that I am in continuous work and I love what I do. And I think that there's a reason that it keeps happening. So while that keeps happening, I will be thrilled - and feel lucky - to keep doing it.”

“Since I was growing up in New Zealand where there's a hole in the ozone layer above us, we get so much sun damage to our skin, and the thing we can do to look after ourselves is use sunscreen during the day, but making sure your skin is well hydrated while you sleep.”

“Really, I'm never much of a goal-setter. Whenever I've tried to make big, solid plans, they don't happen. I'm more into whatever the circumstances are that present themselves, making wise decisions around that.”

“There's no use beating yourself up about what you can't change.”

“There are many projects that I would have loved to be a part of, but I was not high-profile enough, or I had the wrong look. That's just something you have to expect.”

“What I love about my work is the variety and not knowing what's coming next, and being able to embrace something for a period of time and know something new is going to follow.”

“I work with a stylist called Devon Nuszer and a makeup artist called Aaron Barry, and between those two, I trust them implicitly. I have the things I do over and over again and that I feel safe with, but they inspire me to take risks, and I trust them so much.”

“I think if I manage to juggle a personal life that I'm really happy with as well, as long as I manage to maintain balance, that's kind of the mark of success to me.”

“I do think of myself very strongly as a New Zealander, but when I moved out to the States, I was aware that I didn't want to just live in a satellite community of only other New Zealanders.”

“I don't ever want to feel like my whole life is laid out before me and I know exactly what's gonna happen. That would be so boring.”

“The reason I feel like I act is because you get to live a million different lives in one. I don't have to go about my life, just being easy-going New Zealander Rose. Sometimes I can inhabit a feisty, vicious character. Sometimes I can inhabit a painfully shy British girl, or whatever it might be.”

“I've done a lot of drama, and as a lifestyle, going to work and laughing every day is just great. It's great for your mental health, and it's great for setting up a nice year.”

“Say a piece of pottery is broken, and it's fixed, and they use gold in the adhesive and in the sealant. It becomes more precious than it was before it was broken in the first place.”

“My motivation is to get a deeper understanding and exploration of something that I want to know about the human condition. So, that's what I look for in the material I read: if it's asking a genuine question about a concept of the world that interests me. And also, it helps if it's a context that I find interesting.”

“My school of thought with going into a character is that you have to understand where they come from, and you have to empathize with them.”

“Tinker Bell needs a Tinker Bell. She needs someone plotting for her. I certainly think that it's something she wants.”

“We can get carried away with our heads in books, and although there's so much to be learned from that, I think sitting in a cafe and speaking with someone - whatever it is, their mannerisms, their choices, are just as valuable as any class you can go to.”