I love Sherlock Holmes. I've got all his books, leather-bound. What I thought was great about Sherlock Holmes was that not only was he a supersleuth, he was also a hard worker. Not only did he go out and solve the crimes, he came home and wrote it all down. Fantastic. That's why I admire him.
I am of the very last generation who didn't have computers at school. As we grow old we'll become something of an aberration.
The tabloids operate in an amoral parallel universe where the bottom line is selling newspapers.
My father worked for IBM. My mother raised us kids. There were six of us, and a couple of extra foster kids at any given time.
I have never wanted to be famous, as such - fame is a by-product.
I did not become successful in my work through embracing or engaging in celebrity culture. I never signed away my privacy in exchange for success.
What I don't like is dance music or hip hop or any of that sort of thing.
If the person who can effectively sanction ill-conceived wars can play the electric guitar, which is a symbol of rebellion, then that whole worldview becomes confused.
If you chase something too desperately, it eludes you.
I don't like new bands. I don't want to be one of those pathetic old men in their forties who knows exactly what 18-year-olds are into.
If you are a great dramatic actor then you often don't know if people are enjoying your stuff at all because they are sitting there in silence. But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.
But with comedy it's a simple premise. If it's funny, people laugh. If it's not, they don't.
Going to a grammar school, you mixed with all sorts of different types and I used to listen to how they talked. When I did my imitations, I could sound like someone really rough, or I could sound like a cabinet minister.
I find impressionists slightly annoying, really.
If you start to disrespect the character you're playing, or play it too much for laughs, that can work for a sketch, it will sell some gags, but it's all technique. It's like watching a juggler - you can be impressed by it, but it's not going to touch you in any way.
I always find it easier to portray myself as being unlikeable and idiotic; to actually play a character that is likeable and engages the audience is far more difficult. It's a more subtle kind of challenge.
I've always been drawn to discomfort and that limbo of unease you get between comedy and tragedy. Making people laugh one moment and the next making them feel really uncomfortable.
I've always been drawn to discomfort and that limbo of unease you get between comedy and tragedy.
The best feeling in the world is performing in front of a live audience who like what you're doing. I can understand why people become dictators just because of the thrill they get making the speeches.
Comedy is unique in the sense that laughter is a palpable noise that everyone makes.
