Sofia Helin

“I talked to a brain specialist who told me when you think like someone else for such a long time, your brain actually changes.”

“My parents taught me broad Christian values. To be kind to one another, to be honest, not to just think about yourself.”

“I like going for walks in the western harbour, a newly-built area of Malmo where the old harbour used to be. It is surrounded by canals and waterways and the architecture is modern and innovative - the landmark Turning Torso skyscraper, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is the star of the show.”

“Acting, when you don't want to do it or you disagree with everything, is almost like having sex with someone you don't like. I had one experience like that on stage, in a terrible version of The Cherry Orchard. I put on a wig, dark-coloured contacts and just hoped no one would recognise me.”

“I arrange it by working four days away from home, and three days at home with the family, so I work four long days rather than five shorter. But it's hard because everything is on hold. We have to restore the family life during the weekends.”

“And then my husband works every second weekend, sermons on Sunday, baptising on Saturdays, weddings.”

“But watching characters that are awkward, overcoming their own obstacles and finding some of the hardest criminals in the world is interesting. We like watching losers win because we're all basically losers.”

“I just figured, 'I don't want to go to university anymore,' so I went to Stockholm. I went into this teaching school and after one year I got a part in a soap opera in Stockholm. It's called 'Rederiet.'”

“אין ספק שיש סדקים בחברת הרווחה, אבל אני חושבת שזו בעיה לאנושות ולא לשוודיה. בכל מקום עם אנשים יהיו שסעים, וקווי שבר.”

“בדרך כלל, מה שאתה עושה כשחקן הוא להסתכל פנימה על עצמך ולחפש חוויות שאתה יכול להשתמש בהן.”

“כשחקן אתה רק לעתים נדירות מסוגל לתכנן קדימה, כי אתה לא יודע אם תהיה לך עבודה.”

“I had a talk with my older son a couple of days ago. I explained to him that I went to a therapist and I found out that I wanted two things very much: I wanted children and I wanted acting. My therapist said to combine this will be very hard. And being a parent is the hardest thing I've ever done.”

“So I sat down in my student room and thought, when did I have a lot of fun? I realised it was acting. I was 22. Then I slowly started to make small steps.”

“Some of the roles I play are very demanding. My body and brain can't separate what is real fear from what is played fear.”

“I always knew I wanted to have children of my own. I met my husband Daniel when I was 23; we were married when I was pregnant with my first child, Ossian. We've had our ups and downs like every couple, especially when we were younger.”

“It's almost as if the Swedes have two different personalities: one for winter and one for summer. I am both a happy and a melancholic person. It's complex as I get so much from life.”

“Then I had lunch with my cousin who works for WaterAid and she said yes, it's a catastrophe. And another catastrophe is that every day 1,400 children die from poisoned water, so now I'm an ambassador for WaterAid.”

“When you grow up around sadness, it affects the way you see the world.”

“My dad was the 10th of 11 children. My mother has three brothers. My dad was a salesman, my mum was a school nurse.”

“I'm almost completely ruled by my emotions.”