“I think for any comedian to come and get big laughs from a really toug...” — Omid Djalili Quote

I think for any comedian to come and get big laughs from a really tough, discerning, comedy-literate audience, it is the biggest stamp of approval.

I was very lucky to get a part in Gladiator and had a couple of scenes with Oliver Reed. I was basically a bit frightened of him.

Not the Nine O'Clock News' was the first comedy show I truly responded to when I was a teenager. I watched it avidly not just for pleasure but also for kudos.

If I've got to carry this bit of fat around my stomach for the rest of my life, then I apologise to my pallbearers. I'll be heavy when they carry my coffin.

I understand the power of words and ideas as I get older and as I become more responsible as a stand-up. I think the media can really help by changing that syntax and vernacular.

When I ran the first time in 2001, they called me 'The Latino Mayor.' By the time I left in 2013, with a 58 percent approval rating, half the people liked me, half the people didn't. I was everybody's mayor. There was never any criticism that I was just for one group.

Psychologically, I'll always be a fat girl because that's what my character is built on. I always got a buzz out of people telling me I was ugly. I went out of my way to un-beautify myself. I didn't want anyone's approval.

I was always critiquing my work. I let everybody else around - producers, directors, other actors - they give the nod of approval or the praise. Because I tried to always bring the best, so even if they were happy with it, I was still scrutinizing it.

Spanking and verbal criticism have become, to many parents, more important tools of child rearing than approval.