Often you find the character through the things they say. How they talk about other people, how they describe themselves – which is very rare.

My mum will not speak above a low whisper in public because she doesn’t want to draw attention to herself.

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

I think insanity is the hardest thing to play.

I have a bit of pride, which is always my downfall.

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

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

People like continuity, and the good old cliffhanger every week is something they enjoy. I enjoy it – I don’t want to dip into just one episode when I turn on the TV.

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 it’s a certain type of film that I’m not massively bothered about.

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

The interesting roles have only come since I got into my 30s. But I didn’t know that was going to happen.

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.

I can work hard and be disciplined like a soldier, but I could never reach their level of fitness.

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 am just not a water baby. I can swim, but I just don’t.

Give me a character that has an heroic quality, and I’ll go there.

Trying to please everyone can be very hard, but, like ‘Shrek’ or ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Robin Hood’ manages to entertain adults and children at the same time, but in different ways.

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

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

I think that internal conflict works very well, because, after all, all the best drama is fuelled by conflict.

I think my fighting skills have certainly been improved by working with Peter Jackson.

It fills me with dismay sometimes when you look at the scripts that do come to you that are primarily focused on violence. There are so many other things to play around with.

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’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 think if I had come out of drama school and been an instant Hollywood superstar, I would be taking long, leisurely holidays.

I speak some dwarvish.

I feel like my imagination was crafted by Tolkien. He seemed to tap into that childhood intrigue of secret doors and hidden worlds.

I do believe in pensions.

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

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

Everyone loves a good baddie.

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

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.

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

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.

There’s a very strong force in Tolkien’s characters.

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

I suppose I’m a bit mean. My face on camera doesn’t lend itself to happy nice guys. I think it’s just that my bone structure looks menacing.

I don’t really like making too much of a statement with what I’m wearing.

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’m not much of a show-off.

I was in a production of ‘Macbeth.’

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.

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 up quickly in the submarine.

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 well as physical; if I don’t train, I get very depressed.

I have an accountant, obviously, because I’m self employed, and I use an independent financial adviser. I trust my accountant because we have worked together for a long time now.

I confess I’ve got a yearning to go to Los Angeles, but I can’t work out if it is because a lot of British actors seem to go or because there’s this perception that the bottom has fallen out of British drama, so therefore, it’s the place to head for.

You’ve got to have baddies that you can boo.

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.