I'm driven by fear.

My twenties were a write-off.

I have to work at my own speed.

I am a stickler for damn good writing.

Actors are bloody marvelous at hiding.

I think Jack Thorne is an exceptional writer.

I'm not planning on being a health role model.

I do have a slightly rebellious streak in me, I'm afraid.

I truly believe that love is love and gender is immaterial.

I'd like to think little miracles do happen in 'Angel Cake.'

I'm not terribly good at being around work I don't care about!

Working on 'The Paradise' is like putting on a comfy overcoat.

It's a joy doing 'Tango.' I'd do it till the day I die, frankly.

I suppose trying not to fancy Richard Gere - that's been quite hard!

I am a tea connoisseur and my idea of absolute heaven is a tea shop.

I'm absolutely certain that audiences want to see older women on their TVs.

Young people are often portrayed in a very negative and stereotypical manner.

I think women have not been terribly kind to other women for a very long time.

Accents are interesting, because they very often inform the way a person moves.

'MotherFatherSon' was just an extraordinary read and I wanted to be a part of it.

'Tango' is very much an ensemble piece and I was devastated when I read the script.

I think all writers have a style, a particular voice and rhythm that you have to find.

I would never condone anything which I thought was salacious, titillating, or gratuitous.

The Barbara Hepworth museum in St. Ives is fascinating. Her achievements were astonishing.

Now that I'm in my late 40s, I'm trying to make up for a little bit of lost musicals time.

Love is very complicated and it's never black and white, as I'm sure we all know in our lives.

I come from a line of women who can bake, so I think I've inherited a bit of family knowledge.

I can bake but I don't do a lot of baking, mainly because the side effect is not very good for you.

If someone was walking round in a T-shirt with Sarah Lancashire on it, I'd find that very disturbing.

Age affects us all in the workplace. We all get a little less appealing as we get older, unfortunately.

My twenties were a write-off. It's a cruel illness, because you can't see it and you can hide it so well.

Relationships are very complex. It's very unusual to see something which is so 'complex portrayed on screen.

I don't feel that 40 is anything these days. Our life expectancy is so much greater that maybe 50 is the new 40.

For me, it was much more important to continue to learn my craft as an actor and get a bit of flesh on the bones.

We don't necessarily hear about the fantastic things social services do, because it doesn't make very good drama.

'Happy Valley' is an extraordinary piece and it was not necessarily about Catherine but her part in the narrative.

I'm straight, but it's immaterial what your sexuality is. Isn't it really just about being a fulfilled human being?

When I'm working in theatre I never go to the bar with the other actors; I go home and think about what I did wrong.

Acting is a subtle combination of hiding and revealing yourself, and as I'm not an extrovert, this is painful for me.

Marriage is not for everyone, but spiritually it is very necessary for me because I have a desire, a need to feel owned.

I do find it quite difficult to complete a job and return to normality - it does take a bit of time to find my healthy place.

An 'Ordinary Woman' is the beautiful and achingly poignant portrait of Gwen, a complex and troubled woman in her middle years.

There's some truth that roles for older women are harder to come by, but it's wrong for actors to monopolise the ageist thing.

It's too easy to underestimate your audience. But it's not rocket science: bad plays don't get people on seats; good plays do.

I took 18 months away to have my son, Joseph, and it was the biggest break I'd ever had in my working life of nearly 20 years.

I've learnt that it's possible to be as anonymous as you want. It's a choice, and I've become very, very good at being anonymous.

My father's family, I think, were mostly from Lancashire, but I don't know how far back we go. I think it's quite a few generations.

Love is love. It doesn't matter about sexuality, it's just about how you feel towards somebody else and being good and honest with them.

I don't like comparing projects. I find it too difficult because I can't objectively look at a piece when I'm so subjectively involved it.

I have managed to get through that tricky turn into your 50s with two great roles. It is great to see characters for women of a certain age.

Share This Page