“I would like to be appreciated by the intelligentsia, the fools, the comics, the alcoholics, everybody, of course I would like that. I wouldn’t then have to guard against, which I do anyway, as an actor, too much adulation, too much sycophancy. I mean, I can work with a group of people who’ll be trying to convey to me everyday I’m the greatest actor on earth, well I’m not.”

“What is sad in life is the people who have got genuine talent, who failure beats, failure knocks into the ground. No, failure isn’t going to knock me to the ground, until I’m too tired. That’s what I’m saying you have got to fight against, exhaustion.”

“I believe in the parable of the talents. I really do believe in that. I also believe in honesty. As much as it is possible. Even on this bloody television, I believe in it. I know perfectly well by the way, all the time I’m talking to you, that it’s always 50-50. Half the people who are listening to what I’m saying are going to think, what an egocentric, aggressive, loud-mouthed stupid, charmless man. And there are others who are going to think, oh god at least he’s refreshing, he’s got some energy, at least he’s trying. It’s always like that. what is the alternative? just to lie down...that's all"