Well, I've always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys.

Well, I've always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys. So it never surprises me. And if it's good writing, you can find your way into the part well enough.

If you’re playing a historical character that’s in the public consciousness, then obviously you’ve got to make an effort to look like that person and there’s a huge amount of historical record there that you have to kind of comply to.

I kind of have an interest in all history. And I suspect it comes from being Irish – we like stories, we like telling stories, which makes a lot of us lean towards being writers or actors or directors.

I suppose I look for humor in most situations because it humanizes things; it makes a character much more three-dimensional if there’s some kind of humor. Not necessarily laugh-out-loud type of stuff, just a sense that there is a humorous edge to things. I do like that.

A good comedy’s very hard to make, so good comic writing I really enjoy.

Normally when I’m sent a script I’ll read it through to see how it hangs as a story and then I’ll go back and read it through again and look at the character.

There are so many burning issues to be dealt with that it’s completely understandable and natural that a character is struggling with these issues themselves. In that struggle, you inform the audience. The thing about this writing is that it’s very easy to learn. Good writing always is.

Even in drama, I like to try to find the humor because I think it’s very human. Even in the depths of dreadful situations, there’s usually something rather comic, or something you can laugh about afterwards, at least.

My old manager of the Irish National Theatre said ‘Don’t worry about being a star, just worry about being a working actor. Just keep working.’ I think that’s really good advice.