I've Played A Lot Of Roles I

My First Acting Class Was Taught By A Little Known Playwright, David Mamet, Who Then Cast Me In My First Play, Opposite John Malkovich.

What I Mostly Do Is Take The Script, Analyse The Hell Out Of It, See What's In There, See What Kind Of Person I'm Dealing With, And Then Forget I'm Playing A Father And Just Play A Person Who Exemplifies All Those Things.

I Belonged To Stratford Children's Theater When I Was A Boy Growing Up In Manchester. Even Then, I Was Always Doing Character Parts.

I Don't Take Much From My Own Father, Because He Was A Very Austere, Quiet, Private Man Who Would Come Home From Work, Go To His Parlour And Play Beethoven On His Piano.

I'm Not Intimidated By Other Actors At All - Or Directors. I Don't Care Who They Are. But I Am Intimidated By Writers. I Hold Them In The Highest Esteem.