DOMINIC COOPER

Nobody should expect an actor to have these wonderful ideas and concepts about the world: they pretend to be other people for a living.

Grief jumps out at you when you're least expecting it.

In whatever work environment, whether we admit it or not, there is always a little part of us that has been or will be tempted by a lifestyle for the wrong reasons.

You never know really what anyone thinks about you - that's why all my closest friends are ones I've had since my schooling days when I was 5. And I surround myself with people who I trust and who know me.

You never know what the public is going to respond to or relate to.

I like being in focus, in the moment, changing and adapting and creating and advancing a scene.

Of course you can find something exciting and dynamic in any character you want to portray.

I stupidly ignored education completely. I found it dull and I preferred to cause chaos and have fun. I regret this massively now.

I'm not going to pre-empt anything regarding how my career's going to go because I'm always prepared for the worst.

There's only so much you can do of trying, finding yourself very close to getting a part and then not getting it.

I have a very easy life, I can wander around.

Any son of a dictator, I'm sure, has major issues with their relationship with their father.

People are earning their living as 'celebrities' without actually doing anything.

I don't see myself as being a heart-throb at all.

When you work with people who are so passionate about their product it's kinda inspiring.

I feel very fortunate, always.

The people in Iraq lived essentially good lives. They had brilliant health and education systems. Saddam actually created an incredible infrastructure in a very difficult country, but they were a Mafia family. If you said anything against that regime or that family you would be killed instantly.

I think skilled salesmen have the ability to work out who you are and pick out aspects of your personality. They almost manipulate you, in a way, to make you buy their product.

One of the exciting and enjoyable aspects of acting is being in the environment with another actor.

There are probably only a certain number of people who can understand or tolerate how long a job will take and what demands it puts on you. And why should they? It breeds a strange kind of selfishness immersing yourself in a character for so long.

It's a good feeling to come away from a day's work feeling like you've achieved something. Tired brain is good.

I have always worked from that place, that if you are going to inhabit someone and get under their eyes, you need to have empathy.

Yes, I want children and I can't wait to have that closeness with someone - to bring someone into the world. But, I really don't know when.

It happens very rarely that your ears perk up about a certain project.

I had a really creative teacher at primary school. He used to get us doing things such as singing Spandau Ballet in drag in the choir, and I remember loving it.