“I got invited to what's called the Gifting Suite in Toronto. I had the...” — Lesley Manville Quote

I got invited to what's called the Gifting Suite in Toronto. I had the day off, so I thought I'd go and see what's what. You come out laden with wonderful stuff. Apparently, if you go to the Oscars, you get given things like iPads. Not that I'm in it for the swag.

I'm quite chameleon in my work - not normally looking much like I do in real life.

I love playing women at the far ends of the social scale. I've done it all my life; that's where my ability lies.

I had two starts, really. The first was going to the Italia Conti stage school, aged 15. I'd gone to sing, but one day I found myself doing an improvisation and thought, 'Oh God, I quite like this acting thing.' The second start was meeting Mike Leigh when I was 22. He showed me I could play people that weren't like me.

As a reader and a writer, I'm happiest when apparently mutually exclusive states can somehow coexist.

A number of years ago, when I had an exhibition of my work, the people in charge who came to pick up my manuscripts saw them piled up haphazardly in the garage and were shocked. 'What? They'll grow mold like this!' they said. People who do things properly apparently make a dedicated manuscript room, where they can control humidity.

I swear to God, I don't even know who Demi Lovato is. My son has a crush on her. Apparently, he was sat next to her when I knocked Luke Rockhold out, so Demi Lovato knows who I am, that's for sure.

Apparently, everyone is most scared of the psychological tests. I didn't know how I'd fare. What I've found out is I may be creative and imaginative, but I'm also extremely together.