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" I applaud anything that can take a kid away from a PlayStation or a Gameboy. That is a miracle in itself. "

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" I had what AA calls 'a convincer' - which made me realize that I couldn't do it any more. I went out drinking for about 70 hours here in London. At the end I knew I was done. "

" A lazy man works twice as hard. My mother told that to me, and now I say it to my kids. If you're writing an essay, keep it in the lines and in the margins so you don't have to do it over. "

" Culturally, politically, everywhere you look... Read the newspaper. Go online. Our world has gone to hell. "

" Getting sober was one of the three pivotal events in my life, along with becoming an actor and having a child. Of the three, finding my sobriety was the hardest thing. "

" I'm probably a Libertarian, if I had to put myself in any category. But you don't come out and talk about these things, for obvious reasons. "

" 'Nil By Mouth' was a bit autobiographical, but as I always pointed out at the time, that's not my dad. "

" I have three kids who like Harry Potter so I was sort of aware of it. You can't really move from it: it's on buses, in stores, it's everywhere. One of my kids has read the books; the other two are too small but they like the movies. "

" It's a shame about California, and particularly about L.A., where they've demolished so many landmarks. It's a bit of a disease there, where if anything is over 30 years old, they sort of knock it down and replace it. It's a strange town, it's this sprawling suburb, and then there's a city, the old town. "

" The thing a drama school can't give you is instinct. It can sharpen instinct but that can't be taught, and you have to have intuition. It's an essential ingredient. "

" Wanting to be a good actor is not good enough. You must want to be a great actor. You just have to have that. "

Not Good Enough

" I grew up in Deptford in south London, and at that time I used to wear toppers, loon pants and tonic suits from shops like Take 6 and Topman. I was a bit of a soul boy, but I had a very eclectic taste in music - I was into James Brown and Bowie; and I was the only kid in the neighbourhood who would also be listening to Chopin. "

" On set I keep myself to myself; I'd rather the director speak up. I'm not gonna direct a younger actor. I think the power of example works best, actually. "

" I'm almost incapable of lying. I'd be a terrible spy. "

" I like a cheese and pickle. Nice cheese and pickle on a real old-fashioned bread. Ploughman's lunch. "

" What's fascinating is that when you write a script, it's almost a stream of consciousness. You have an idea that it means something, but you're not always sure what. Then when you get on the set, the actors teach you. "

" At the Oscars, if you didn't vote for '12 Years a Slave,' you were a racist. You have to be very careful about what you say. I do have particular views and opinions that most of this town doesn't share, but it's not like I'm a fascist or a racist. There's nothing like that in my history. "

" At 23 it was all about acting. Today it's getting my kids to school, making sure that they've done their homework. I'm in my fifties, and I'm turning into a square. "

" You can play older than yourself. You can play younger than yourself up to a point, and then that just becomes impossible because you carry a weight with you that you can't shift, unless you have very boyish looks. "

" There's no handbook for parenting. So you walk a very fine line as a parent because you are civilizing these raw things. They will tip the coffee over and finger-paint on the table. At some point, you have to say, 'We're gonna have to clean that up because you don't paint with coffee on a table.' "

" Your own barometer is all you have to go by, and often what makes a good director is knowing when not to say something. On occasions you can find yourself on a film set where the person who is wearing the director's hat is only trying to justify his position. "

" I still don't have a publicist. If I'm in a film, you have an obligation to promote it, I'll do as much as I can. "

" I don't go to premieres. I don't go to parties. I don't covet the Oscar. I don't want any of that. I don't go out. I just have dinner at home every night with my kids. Being famous, that's a whole other career. And I haven't got any energy for it. "

" I'm not the best audience for that because I'm not a great science-fiction fan. I just never got off on space ships and space costumes, things like that. "

" Growing up in a particular neighborhood, growing up in a working-class family, not having much money, all of those things fire you and can give you an edge, can give you an anger. "

" Political correctness has become a straightjacket. "

Political Correctness

" So Harry Potter came in and it is nice that I have kids of the right age. I took them to London and they walked around the set and met Harry Potter and that is thrilling. "

" I want my weekends off and I want to put my kids to bed. Those are good reasons to want to be in 'Batman 2'. "

" I can't imagine childhood without 'Planet of the Apes.' I was nine or ten when the first one came out. "

" Speaking very generally, I find that women are spiritually, emotionally, and often physically stronger than men. "

" My favorite meal would have to be good old-fashioned eggs, over easy, with bacon. Many others, but you can't beat that on a Sunday morning, especially with a cup of tea. "