Quotes

It's great meeting the fans. They say I'm more beautiful now than I was 25 years ago. All lies of course, but sweet. Where else is an old bag like me going to find strapping young men and women to whisper sweet nothings in her ear?

Doctor Who (2005) now? Great stories. Acting - brilliant! Photography - superb. Effects - stunning! BUT... I do miss the shaky sets, the Marks and Spencers wardrobe, the discontinuity. Now we are so overwhelmed by the professionalism of television that it is hard to feel connected. We are chained to the sofa while we are lasered with the latest state of the art technology. You can never tell if what you are seeing is real or the product of CGI. At least in its first incarnation, you knew that the cardboard walls, Bacofoil interiors and Domestos bottle spaceships were the real McCoy. And sex! Come on now. The whole point of the Doctor is that he is far above such earthly pleasures. We aren't even sure if, under the costume, he has the necessary equipment. After all - he is an alien.

I always had a big mouth and used to go on about the political schooling interrupting my quest for thespian glory. I used to think like that. Not good in a police state.

[from a 2006 interview] I was in a concentration camp as a child and I don't want to see horror. I think it's amazing that I do horror films when I had this awful childhood. But maybe that's why I'm good at it.

I'm mad about breasts, especially mine.

[how she got the lead role in Countess Dracula] Well I decided that the best way to get into the role was to round up a few virgins and try out the efficacy of their blood before starting the picture. Unfortunately the extreme difficulty encountered in my search for virgins made this impossible, so I winged it.

[scary moments with fans] I can truthfully say that I have never had any problems. It might have something to do with the fact that my husband is 6′ 2″ and mean looking and is constantly with me. But I don't think so. I just think people are lovely and I adore chatting to them.

[whether she felt exploited by her nude scenes] How can you be exploited if you know what you are doing, have the opportunity of backing out and are getting paid to do the job? I had a good body and had no inhibitions about flaunting it. There was nobody, off camera, pointing a gun at my head.

[why the lesbian vampire is such a potent horror icon] Female vampires are expected to wear the minimum of clothing and make sure that they catch the back lighting as much as possible. What they do wear must fall around them to reveal maximum flesh when they get down to business. I think the lure of the character is in its sexuality and the fact that double dibs are on tap if both the victim, naked and screaming, is molested before being sent into orgasm by a bite on the neck by a woman.

[why horror films are popular] Horror will always be important to people, because they love to be frightened in a safe environment. Sitting in a theater and going 'Ooooh!' and jumping on their date shouting: 'Save me, save me.' Men love that, don't they?

[The Blair Witch Project] I hated it. I went to sleep. So boring.

[2001 interview] I'm too old for plans. What comes round, goes around. And hopefully, I will go round with it.

[acting at Hammer Studios] I can truly say I was incredibly lucky, because when I came to Hammer I was the only actress to play a predator. All the other women played victims. I don't like to play victims.

[nude scenes in Hammer films] And I got hooked on nude scenes, because they would always bring you hot water, brandy, champagne, whatever you needed to feel comfortable. They're always so afraid that you'll change your mind. That the silly cow suddenly doesn't want to do it and jumps back in her clothes. But it never bothered me. If you have a reason, in the script, to get undressed then that's okay. But I wouldn't want to do it just for exhibitionism.

[going from acting to writing] When you become a writer you have to find an outlet for your stories; you need a publisher. And finding a publisher is harder than finding a role in a movie. It's especially hard if you're a little bit older.