I was just twiddling my thumbs in London, literally not knowing what I was going to do with my life, and my agent says, 'You got an audition for 'My Fair Lady' with Bartlett Sher.'
— Harry Hadden-Paton
I'm afraid I don't look at reviews or anything like that, but you get an immediate sense from the audience that they've had a lovely evening.
I thought there might be a career in acting because I had other friends doing it.
I remember coming in second in a singing competition when I was about 5. I was terrified and didn't win because I apparently looked miserable.
Thankfully, Claire Foy is a very easy person to get along with. She's lovely.
The way a play is seen is completely dependent on the circumstances and the world in which it is received.
I was a choir boy at school, then when the choir became less cool, I became a kind of rock star in my own world.
I did see - and it really struck me - the late, great Tim Pigott Smith and Michelle Dockery doing 'Pygmalion' at the Old Vic. That was amazing. I remember being rocked to the core by that.
What's great about the play 'Pygmalion' is that it's sort of two plays. It's the one simple trajectory of girl bettering herself. It's a bet; it's a dare. Will they get away with it? Basic seed: boom. And then it goes into a different direction.
My wife saw a mug somewhere that says, 'I'm silently correcting your grammar.' I think that is perfect thing for me.
Tim Pigott-Smith once told me to never get off the carousel, i.e., just keep working. It's much harder to get back on and get a job when you're unemployed. But from my own experience, my advice would be keep the faith, be yourself, and don't be afraid to say 'no.' It's the only power we have!
I remember going to see 'Starlight Express' almost every birthday I had as a treat because I just loved it, and the idea that you could rollerskate in a sort of scary old theatre... It was sort of a novel concept.
