Particularly with internships, you have to work for a year with no money. How on Earth are you going to finance that?

Before ‘Coronation Street,’ I was a jobbing actor, and after it, I’m a jobbing actor again.

When people accuse me of being really posh, I think, ‘Hang on a minute – no, I’m not!’

Being in ‘Coronation Street’ is only going to make me a better actor.

The devil always has the better tunes!

If you’re going to kiss a man, let it be a beautiful man like Ed Speleers.

I got into acting for the different scenarios and roles and meeting different people.

There’s definitely a wave of Brits doing great work on American television, and I wouldn’t mind being one of them!

My mom and dad put my brother and sister through university and they were very keen for us to have an academic background just to give us a chance.

I went to Huddersfield University Business School. That’s where I learned my trade.

You don’t buy evil characters lattes. That’s not normal behavior.

Beverly Hills is too intimidating. Everyone’s got lovely teeth, so you don’t want to smile. Everyone’s ripped, so you start working out at 4 in the morning and eating egg white omelets.

I would like to do theatre because it scares me, and I think you should do things that scare you.

You know if something is good because you remember the lines because it is written so well. The rhythm of the speech is spot on.

Because you’ve done the horrible jobs, it gives you an even grittier determination to succeed.

I’ve swam with great white sharks.

I can’t watch myself on screen without dying a little bit inside. And there are lots of moments when I think, ‘What am I doing as an actor? I can’t act!’

My girlfriend is a great support, and I’ve got a big circle of mates who keep my feet on the ground.

If I had a comfort blanket, I wouldn’t have been as passionate and driven.

I’m a working class lad. So at 25, and with no-one in our family having any theatrical inclination, when I said, ‘I’m going to scratch all that and become an actor,’ I may as well...

I think because of my background – I went through university and did an academic career and fell into acting – I’ve never had a game plan for my career because I got into it...

Most actors will tell you that villains are the most interesting to play.

The reason I’m an actor and am trying to make my way in drama is to move people, to affect people, to gain a response – so these people who come up to you in...

Working on ‘Downton Abbey’ is amazing, but there’s an ensemble cast of between 18 and 21 actors. With ‘Love Life,’ there are two couples and a few other key characters. As a smaller unit, you’ve...

My dad doesn’t watch ‘Coronation Street.’ But my mum is a massive fan. I’d like to think my dad will watch it for a few token episodes, as I’m in it.

It’s hard being gay in Edwardian times.

Obviously, I play a villain in ‘Downton Abbey’. As an actor, you want to get a variety of roles, so to be offered the part of Joe, it was perfect.

People identify with being heartbroken. We’ve all been heartbroken, haven’t we? I’ve been dumped, and it feels horrible.

America does not like people being not nice to dogs.

Sometimes people can be guilty of not working at relationships and if it’s not working, oof, that’s it.

If you rile a tiger, he’s going to show his claws.