Quotes

I saw the very first Doctor Who (1963)! William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton were my Doctors... I sort of lapsed a bit, but I saw all of the different Doctors at some point. I was a great fan of the show. I'm not a great lover of sci-fi, but this was the first of its kind on TV. It was an imaginative fantasy that was rather appealing - this old Doctor, a Time Lord in a telephone box whizzing backwards and forwards in space and time. It had good stories, it was intriguing, it was very different. When it first started it was one of those programmes 'It's Doctor Who (1963), you've got to watch that'. I rather liked Tom Baker - he gave it a certain manic quality. I've watched a couple of the new series, he's [David Tennant] ever so good. I knew he would be. He's just a very good actor and he's got a good line in charm which I think helps with the Doctor.

[on Rise of the Cybermen (2006)] It was great working with Graeme [Graeme Harper]. I've worked with him before doing a series with Dennis Waterman some years back. He's a very nice man, very good to work with. It was extremely cold on set, as we filmed in the warehouse in Newport, and quite technical, because some of the scenes were set in a space ship. I enjoyed the whole experience actually. I think Graeme has done a really good job on this episode. I saw them back-to-back a few weeks ago and they are like a film, certainly in the impact. The set looks awesome when you add all the CGI effects.

[on Doctor Who (2005)] People want to be part of it, because it's an iconic programme and you want to be part of history. The programme has a pedigree and you want to be part of that.

[on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)] It was big budget, great production values, the job went on for nine months on and off and a nice character to play - something to get my teeth into. It was a big production and there aren't many films made like that, certainly in this country. It was a good crack, it's just a pity he had to die really. I'd read the first book as my children were appropriate ages for Potter when he first came out. I did see all the films - I always prefer the films to the books to be honest with you. It was a fantastic set. There were dozens of workmen working for weeks on that set, it was stunning and it was thrilling to do those scenes.

I was not easy to cast, but also I have never been typecast. This was an advantage in the long run, because it opens a big range of parts for me, from Trigger to Freud. I have a rubbery face.