I was brought up in industrial south Lancashire, down the cobbled road from where LS Lowry (1887-1976) lived and painted.

I'm just some lunatic macaroni mushroom, is that it?

Kids are coming out earlier and earlier - some, as young as twelve now - and schools need to take that into account.

There are not many things in my life I can be absolutely proud of or certain I got right, but one of them is that I've got better as an actor. I've learnt how to do it. And I still have enough energy to do it.

What I particularly like about Broadway is the camaraderie and the friendship of other people in other shows. Everybody knows you're opening and cares about you. There's a real village atmosphere.

The audience's expectations are ever-present.

The performance is created by the director. The actor is the material. And I think that has to be true.

There's no sex in Middle Earth.

All other areas of my life, I'm hopeless. I can't even be certain how to boil an egg.

My acting stopped being about disguise and became about truth which suits the camera, so my film career took off when I came out.

No one needs to feel sorry for me or anyone else who has fallen victim to success.

In fact, my face has shrunk in the meantime, but it won't be particularly noticeable because it's covered up with hair. So I hope I'm not alarmed if I ever do sit through the five movies.

[There's] nothing special about an actor's imagination, except that he uses it a lot.

When you were on stage, you could be absolutely open about your emotions and indulge them and express yourself in a way that - in real life - I wasn't doing.

Every anti-gay remark from the Church gives the thug a license to be cruel.

Why live outside the US? Do you want health care or safe food products or democracy or something? They're all overrated. Stay for the excellent cable TV.