What got you started?
Miss Berger's after-school drama classes at my boarding school. I found I was good at telling stories, which is an important part of being an actor.
What was your big breakthrough?
Four Weddings and a Funeral. Until I got that part, I'd been going to endless auditions for tiny parts. I truly believed I was never going to get a job.
What do you think is the greatest threat to theatre today?
Boredom. There's a fine line between what works on stage and what doesn't. If you see a play and you're bored, you're not going to go back to the theatre for at least five years.
Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
Nothing. I had my daughter, Poppy, when I was still at drama school, and being a single mother became a driving force in my career. Had I married a rich lawyer at 21, I might never have got anywhere.
What one song would feature on the soundtrack to your life?
Consider Me, by Mahalia Jackson. I love her breadth and grandness.
What work of art would you most like to own?
A Titian portrait or a pencil drawing by Holbein. I love art that feels as if it comes close to some kind of truth.
What's your favourite film?
The Hustler. The camera often hangs right back, allowing a scene to be played through as if it were theatre.
What advice would you give to a young actor?
Do it any way you can, even if it means just putting on a play to entertain your family at Christmas.
What's the biggest myth about actors?
That they're self-centred and say "darling" all the time. That's all true - but they can also be generous and kind.
Do you suffer for your art?
I look at people who have regular jobs and think that stability must be amazing. And, when you're acting, every emotion is under a magnifying glass, which can be painful. But who doesn't suffer in life?
Is there an art form you don't relate to?
British jazz. It makes me think of warm beer and white men with beards.
What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
I once heard a story about an old man who was asked if there was anything he regretted, and he said: "Worrying." It's a complete waste of time in acting, and in life.
In short
Born: Richmond, Surrey, 1965
Career: Has appeared in more than 20 films and TV series, and performed at the National Theatre and with the RSC. Stars in Creditors at the Donmar, London (0870 060 6624), from Thursday.
High point: "Earning my own living, and having people I respect respecting me."
Low point: "Being unemployed for years in the 1990s."