Sarah Lancashire

“Relationships are very complex. It's very unusual to see something which is so 'complex portrayed on screen.”

“I'm not terribly good at being around work I don't care about!”

“Being in the public eye makes you frightened to talk openly about things - which is precisely why you should. You can really make a difference and open up subjects that are taboo.”

“My father was a TV scriptwriter. He would perform his dialogue out loud, while my mum transcribed it at the typewriter. So I grew up thinking that plucking characters out of the air was an extremely normal way to behave.”

“When I'm working in theatre I never go to the bar with the other actors; I go home and think about what I did wrong.”

“Age affects us all in the workplace. We all get a little less appealing as we get older, unfortunately.”

“I think going to university, getting married, having children, and then having the choice to stay at home to raise those children is a very valid one for women and they shouldn't be castigated for it. It's a great job. Not many men would do it.”

“I don't like talking about me. I only speak when I have something to say and won't share my personality.”

“I come from a line of women who can bake, so I think I've inherited a bit of family knowledge.”

“I'd like to think little miracles do happen in 'Angel Cake.'”

“Acting is a subtle combination of hiding and revealing yourself, and as I'm not an extrovert, this is painful for me.”

“Working on 'The Paradise' is like putting on a comfy overcoat.”

“You don't always realize the impact you have on people's lives. You just think 'I'm an actor, I don't think I'm doing anything particularly important in life' and then you suddenly realize that actually for a fleeting moment you do make a difference to somebody's life - it has an impact.”

“Watching your own work doesn't get any easier.”

“But I am Northern myself, and there is a certain rhythm of Northern speech that is very comical: that combination of the choice of language and the speech rhythm, which in itself is very funny.”

“I do have a slightly rebellious streak in me, I'm afraid.”

“My father's family, I think, were mostly from Lancashire, but I don't know how far back we go. I think it's quite a few generations.”

“Being an actor can be a cruel experience because there is no cooling-down period. You can be involved in something that's incredibly intense, but then it's a wrap and you've finished and you go home. I find it difficult to complete a job and then return to reality and find my healthy place.”

“I don't search it out - I really want to be clear, I don't search out the misery! I'm not sitting at home going, 'I can't wait to do another harrowing piece of work.'”

“It's not something I'm embarrassed about. Depression is an issue that tends to be brushed under the carpet. My hope is that if people with a public profile are prepared to talk about it, then it might prompt other people to talk about it too.”