31 Quotes by Shirley Henderson

I like doom and gloom with a sense of humour. Maybe it’s a Scottish thing, we like to undercut indulgence with a laugh.

When I’m doing theatre, I feel like my life’s on hold. Even though you might go out for a coffee, or go and see a film, your brain is still there, pulling you back to it.

I wasn’t frightened of people, but I didn’t have a clue about the adult world.

I spend plenty of time in London and it doesn’t scare me, but it’s a lonely place, even if you’ve got friends there. My job takes me all around the world, meeting lots of interesting people. But I think if I couldn’t get home, if I couldn’t get back to what I consider my real life I’d be frightened.

I don’t have children, but we all want to protect whatever we love in life.

Youth makes you brave, I suppose. When you’re young, you make a fool of yourself all the time. Because of all the rejections and the criticism you get all the time, there has to be a drive there.

Children don’t just play any more – they’re far too busy learning to fence and taking extra French classes. In the end, you’re actually doing more damage to your children by trying to hot-house them. It’s far better to remain a calm parent.

It’s such a stress always trying to get bigger houses and larger cars and better schools. Of course, parents want to give their children the best opportunities in life, but sometimes that can stifle them.

I never get the tall, blonde, glamorous roles because I’m not tall, blonde and glamorous. I’m more the wee, disturbing characters because of the way I look or sound.