Before Ricky Gervais came along, I was a jobbing actress and perfectly content if a little unfulfilled: I'd just done an advert for Imodium. That year, 1999, I auditioned for four parts. 'The Office' was the only one I got. What its success gave me was freedom of choice.
I initially decided to speak about my anorexia and bulimia, partly out of a selfish motivation. I felt I had been scrutinised for my weight and thought, 'At least judge and criticise me on the facts.' There was a freedom with that. Now it's out there, and I just get on with life. I'm at peace with things.
We're always trying to say things are right or wrong, bad or good. If we just chilled out, maybe things wouldn't be so hard.
I have friends who don't even know I'm diabetic. I don't hide it, but it's the last thing I need to tell someone. I take my insulin with every meal and have kidney drugs twice a day, but that is, like, habit. That's how I deal with it.
I'd been the girl, aged about 10, who'd twirl around her bedroom each night in the hope of waking up the following morning, having been transformed into Wonder Woman.
I have never fancied or been attracted to a man on first meeting him.
I was fortunate to have had a lively, happy childhood, but somewhere along the way I convinced myself I wasn't wanted anywhere or by anyone if I wasn't thin.
I don't have my life mapped out. I am happy to see where it goes, and then, hopefully, I won't be disappointed.
I'll watch something like 'Paranormal Activity,' 'The Shining,' or 'Rosemary's Baby,' and I love them, but then I watch 'The People Under the Stairs' or 'Candyman,' and they freak me out. It's weird because I don't where the line is. I don't know what that means. I don't know what I should watch and what I shouldn't.
I came to the realisation, rather late in the day, that whatever your body's meant to be, it will figure itself out.
For me, when I go to bed at night, I am happy that I haven't hurt someone. And if I think I have, I will rectify it. I now refuse to give someone permission to make me feel bad about myself. They can't make me feel bad about myself if I don't allow it.
