I resent having witnessed the survival of some very mediocre male actors and the professional demise of the very brilliant female ones.

I think a lot of my work has been a weird attempt to liberate myself, but it's not altogether successful.

I think it's always hard for people to get their head around the fact that populist, commercial films can also actually be great works of art.

I think of myself as being a bit of a wimp deep down - a bourgeois wimp - and I'm fighting that. I think all Brits are, maybe.

I was never a left-winger, actually. I was a pretend left-winger because it was more interesting than being a right-winger.

I'd describe myself as a Christian who doesn't believe in God.

I'm not a communist, of course. But I do think that everything is down to economics. Capitalism doesn't change.

I'm not an impersonator. I'm a lousy impersonator, actually.

I'm not strong-willed, actually. I'm a complete pushover. I love to be told what to do.

I'm terrified of learning lines, and I've always been terrified that I won't learn them.

I've been working every year since I started acting, and I got many awards before I won the Oscar for 'The Queen.'

It was never my intention to marry anybody. Economics are basically the only reason to get married, but I'm very glad I did it.

It's great to be queen!

My dad's Russian. My mother's English. I would say my bottom half is Russian.

Patience can be a good thing - but not necessarily. Sometimes it's not so bad to be impatient. I'm a little bit too polite.

People become more interesting from about 25 - they develop character and their personalities come out.

People often ask me whether I prefer theater or film, and the answer is that I prefer the one I'm not doing: The grass is always greener.

People with Parkinson's are not some weird people on the edge of human experience.

Sometimes nudity is sexy. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes being clothed is more sexy than being nude.

The control and understanding of our personal fears is one of the most important undertakings of our lives.