I have been to the theater more since I have lived in New York than I ever really did in London working on a television show.

People get to know me slowly and over the course of time. I’ll probably still be a newcomer when I’m 60.

The scariest stunt I’ve ever done was on ‘Captain America.’ We were doing some underwater sequence. I was in a submarine, and Chris Evans had to break the glass, and the water had to fill...

I read everything that Tolkien wrote, and also read biographies of him. I was fascinated by his experiences in World War I, which includes the loss of life of some of his very, very close...

I want to be strong enough to cope with the roles, but I don’t want to be cast as the guy that takes his shirt off.

Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.

I can’t bear shopping. I can choose clothes for my characters, but not for myself. I’ve got no dress sense. Or I’ve lost it.

I’m probably not very good at rom-com, being funny on demand; I’ll leave that to the comedians.

I try to keep at a non-obsessive level of fitness. It’s not about looking great, it’s about just feeling good. So I do a lot of yoga. Bikram just blows my mind. It’s mental as...

I kind of got lost down a road of TV and film, so it’s great to come back to theatre.

Personally, I’m not interested in getting more money for what I do; I’m just interested in more money being put into the production.

Tolkien was, I believe, writing about his experience in the First and Second World Wars, where he would have spent a lot of time without any female contact. He was part of the fellowship of...

I think most five-foot-two people would be quite offended if they were to be called dwarves.

I want to live in Middle-earth, actually.

When I told my mom I was going to audition for ‘The Hobbit,’ she said, ‘Well, you’ve always loved Tolkien.’ And she was right.

I come from very conservative parents, and we weren’t particularly wealthy, but we were comfortable.

I’ve become one of those actors who find it difficult to say ‘no’ when things are offered.

I’m a late developer in everything. I have a fast mind and fast metabolism, and I’m an intense worker, but in terms of life development, I’m way behind.

I know what Twitter is; I don’t use it. I don’t use Facebook, so luckily, it does zero to my ego.

Since real spies are so good, you never really know what actual spying is. But I do think spying is a lot more dangerous than we are led to believe.

You fight for certain roles, and you realise they’re being filled by television and film actors, because theatre is constantly fighting for survival and they need names and faces and ticket sales.

A charity donkey is where you sponsor a donkey in a sanctuary and give them three pounds a month to have some donkey nuts or something.

I was an estate agent for three years. That was pretty grim.

When you already have a following, people are more likely to employ you.

I did quite a lot of menial jobs. I was a waiter, an inventory clerk touring round properties listing cups and saucers, and a laserquest marshal.

I’ve never been that cute kid that was forgiven for being naughty.

I’m not a massive fan of 3D. I’ve seen some good 3D, and I’ve seen quite a lot of bad 3D. I think if a film is created for the shock effect of 3D, then...

I love being grungy and dirty.

Small, slow growth is the best I expect from an investment. I’m a real saver: frugal – like my parents.

I wouldn’t even dare to sing like Ed Sheeran.

A full beard looks cool.

I was in a production of ‘Macbeth.’

You can spend a bit of yourself when you give yourself to a character. At the end of a job, you have to remind yourself who and what you are.

I didn’t become an actor because I thought I’d make lots of money.

If you’re used to being a maverick, then people don’t get surprised when you start acting strangely.

I’m not interested in building wealth, which is kind of naive and probably frowned on, living in America. It’s something that people don’t necessarily understand, but if I die poor, I die poor.

I never like to go out of character when filming starts. I fear that if I do, I might not be able to pick it up again.

Some of the mail I’ve had has been weird. When I played Guy of Gisborne, a woman crocheted a mini-version of me.

Once you don’t smile on film, they say, ‘Let’s have that bloke who doesn’t smile.’

Adults will not necessarily laugh at the same thing as their children.

I went into musical theatre, which I’m not really cut out for – I’m not as skilled at it as other people.

You can’t reject anything in your life as an artist. Everything has its use.

I do believe in pensions.

In school, I was a beanpole with a nose I hadn’t grown into.

I’ve done an awful lot of skiing all over Europe: I’ve done Italy, Austria, France. I skied loads in New Zealand – I did pretty much every ski slope I could find.

I speak some dwarvish.

Someone told me a woman bought a dog so she could take it to the same park where I go running, but I’m hoping that’s rubbish.

As an actor, you’re like, ‘Yeah, I want that phone call from Peter Jackson saying, ‘You’re my first choice for Thorin Oakenshield.’

I wouldn’t want a tattoo at all. They’re difficult to cover up.

You know, to an extent, Method acting feels occasionally lazy.