PAULA MALCOMSON

I just want to play strong characters, whatever that is in. For me, television is where it's at. You get to play a character for a long period of time, and you get to dig deep. It's a home to go to.

If you're going to play a prostitute, you can't be too squeamish about that sort of thing. It's just part of the job, since the role requires it.

Listen, I'm from Belfast. We're not polite people. And it's language. We're direct.

I'm not interested in a pretty world. It's boring to me. If you're lucky enough to get to play a character for a long time, it's life-changing.

I'm pretty excited about the state of TV these days. There's great opportunity for really complicated relationships, in a way that I don't really see as much in movies anymore.

I try not to be too profane around children or old people. Other than that, that's how I speak.

A room full of hundreds, let alone thousands, of people is not my most fun thing in the world.

I've been watching detective shows, like 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing.' I'm like, 'That would be kind of fun to do.'

I always go for just really, hopefully, great writing and great acting, being in the company of great actors.

Actors bond really quickly.

It's definitely hard to say good-bye to a character that you've played for a long time.

I've done network shows. A director will call me and say, 'Do you want to do this with me?' and I'll say, 'Sure,' but I couldn't do it forever because there's no real expression. That's not how people talk.

I love 'Happy Valley.' I love 'Transparent.' I love 'Fleabag.'

Cursing is heavily used in the Irish language. It's not a stretch for me, and I have no qualms about it. It doesn't fall far from the real me.

Being a good actor is sort of understanding the complexity of the human psyche and also knowing that we are none of us perfect.

I like living with a character for a really long time and what can open up with that.

I had a ringside seat to cancer. As have most people.

As actors, we're a little faster than other people with breaking down the walls.

There's no way to fake weight loss - you just kinda have to not eat.

I'm not a Method actor - ask anybody.

I'd like to try comedy, at some point, but no one ever hires me for comedy, ever.

I like to work long-term on projects. It's fun to go in and out and get in there and do something and leave it behind, but to me, the real satisfaction is doing five years on a show, where you're really just up to your eyes in it. It's part of your life. That's what makes me the happiest.

To me, movies is just scratching the surface for the work. There are people who are so, so great at that.

I don't have keepsakes from shows, really. It's in the work. It's all there.

I have the same criteria for choosing roles as I have always had: fantastic writing and complicated characters.