The press mainly want to destroy a program by revealing what's coming up. For some reason, soaps like doing that.

I think any film that asks its audience a degree of tolerance and acceptance of those less fortunate than themselves isn't a bad thing from whatever culture you're in or from whatever part of any political spectrum.

When you are in the eye of the storm, you are often not aware of the whiplash around you.

I'd love to retire somewhere like Winchester, where you have one foot on the pavement but a sense of being in the country as well.

To go to the White House is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, the building is not that big.

Certain stories that you want to see resolve in certain ways are, and some aren't, but that's life.

I do realise how incredibly lucky I am.

I had girlfriends, but settling down was the last thing on my mind.

For the last episode [of Downton Abbey], you'll need some handkerchiefs. I needed handkerchiefs reading it. It wasn't because it necessarily moved me while reading it, but it was the experience of reading it when I realized it was the last time I was ever going to be reading one of those scripts. That was quite terminal.

A typical Christmas is me shucking oysters. I love them and I always get them in at Christmas.

Am I athletic? In my dreams.

I've had people come up to me in the past and say they enjoyed whatever show I've been in.

At home I have a Tibetan terrier. I'm still not sure if he's a genius or very thick. It's a fine line.

I've often been the guy who doesn't get the girl.

At 19, you know everything by the time you're 40, you haven't got a clue.