'Game of Thrones,' people say that it's a fantasy series, but it's a hell of a lot more than that. It attracts the so-called geeks and nerds, and God bless them, they're wonderful for getting right into the show. But primarily it's about family; it's power and betrayal and jealousy. It's all those wonderful things that a fantastic drama is about.Collection: Jealousy
I hate the unfairness of injustice. Anybody who thinks they are better than others or 'chosen' or feel they have an entitlement... be it through monarchy, government or money. I think we are all born the same. We are entitled to an equal shot at life.Collection: Government
If anyone gets arrogant about their religion, that's when the religion isn't effective anymore. Any decent religion or any decent philosophy is always about tolerance and individual freedom, not about harm.Collection: Religion
The best kind of art or writing holds up a mirror to society.Collection: Society
Paris is cafe culture, Dublin is pub culture, and that's the best place to solve all the world's problems: over a pint! One of the great joys of living, I think. The problems of the world seem to disappear.
I'd always admired Sean Connery. Even though I wonder about some of his choices, I like him even in bad movies.
I was an electrician, and I started acting as a hobby because I needed a distraction - I was bored! And only when I started did I think, 'Sheesh, what have I gotten into?' I had to go after it fully; I just had to.
The attraction of power is heady, addictive. And as we know from real life, it can be a disease. A horrific disease.
One of the biggest guys I worked with was Sean Connery. People like Sean, Michael Caine, Denzel Washington, they've been going for a long time, and not for nothing. They want to get this job right, and they realise the weight of responsibility on their shoulders.
I love onions. I cook with them all the time.
I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.
I still say I have no interest in being an actor - I just love acting.
I love my arthouse films, and I love taking a chance.
There's an old actor's saying about how you don't work with children or animals. I disagree with both of them. Some of the best times I've ever had were working with kids because there's an honesty to them.
The best kind of television should mess with your head.
The best thing you can do to an audience is to make them work.
Good luck to you if you're lucky enough to have faith. Some of us aren't lucky enough. My mother has great faith and finds great comfort in it, and I'm jealous of her!
I don't feel superior because I think there's no God. Actually, I would love to be able to go, 'Well, the world hasn't been kind to me, but there's something good around the corner, because the Man has a plan.' I wish I believed that. There's wonderful comfort in that.
Because I came to acting quite late, I kind of think one of the few attributes that I do have is that I try to be honest with the character, with the writing. I'm not a tricksy actor; I'm not exactly a scenery-chewing kind of actor.
A person has already made the effort once they open a paper or turn on the news. They want to know what's going on in the world around them. That, in itself, shows they care. But the problem is, most people say, 'That's terrible,' and then move on. Because they find it too difficult to look at.
Let's just shatter the illusion. I am not wealthy. I've lived in the same house for the past 30 years.
I get that people are worried about their mortgages and bills that have to be paid. They don't have time to worry about the Syrian refugees, and I get that. The thing about it is, when it gets worse and worse and worse and down the line, it's no longer restricted to these places.
If you're doing movies on a set... many times, I've shot the end of a movie in the first week of shooting. Because of locations or budgets or actors' availability.
There's a certain amount of joy in playing a character in the moment and not knowing what's going to roll out as it goes on. It's a bit like life, in a way.
You always have to have a bit of fun if somebody is dead in a scene. That's a red rag to a bull for an actor. You do a little poking. You do things to annoy the actor. It's your job. You have to utilize the opportunity. You have to get through the day.
I've never done a big series like 'Game of Thrones' before. All I knew was that it was HBO, and I'd seen what they had done with 'The Sopranos' and 'The Wire.' But when I started reading the script, it was a no-brainer. Yes, yes, yes. Gold. Every time I turned the page.
I've always admired people like Donal McCann. He wasn't a household name, but if he put his name to something, you were guaranteed a good yarn at the very least.
You have to look for story. That's obvious. If that's not on the page, you can forget it. But I also read whatever character I'm being offered. And if you can cut them out without it affecting the story, then I say no straight away.
On a job, there's so much commitment you have to give, in regards to time, research... I like the tunnel vision of it that prevents anything else from getting in. The creativity and collaboration required there is very rewarding.
I think everybody should have an interest in peace prevailing and the ridiculousness, the bestiality of war. I don't have any time for that. Anybody pulling a trigger is wrong. There is no right in war.
I'm an inner city man, born and bred.
I've always loved movies, so I tried to get into an acting school. I saw an ad for the Oscar school on the back of 'The Irish Times,' and I went along for an audition, very pragmatically, to see if I could do it or not.
I had no acting background in my family and no experience of theatre. I hadn't even been in a school play.
I work like a dog when I have to, but when I'm not working, I get terribly lazy and could sit around all day.
I've got loads of ideas, but I need some structure in my life. I need a mission.
I live an odd existence. I dip into bizarre, very expensive worlds, and then I'm back with a bang to reality, and I put the bins out.
I suppose I am a bit of rough. I'm originally from Coolock: I'm rough around the edges.
I was walking home from school when I was about 17 with two friends, and they took a left into an electrical shop. While we were chatting away, they grabbed a couple of forms and I was handed one. My mum found it and made me fill it in. I got called for an interview, and that's how I ended up being an electrician for 11 years.
I don't consider myself - and I hope I'm never going to be - a 'movie star.' I'd like to be called an actor.
If I was offered the choice of an award for best actor or best supporting actor, I would go for supporting actor.
I've found that the older I get, the more spontaneous I become.
The way I view drama is life with the boring bits taken out.
I was an electrician, and now I'm in 'Electric Dreams.' It's almost bizarre.
What makes us different from other species is our capacity for compassion and empathy with the struggles of other people.
The demonization of people who don't have a voice is particularly despicable, and the only thing we can do in our own little way is hold a mirror up to society and kind of say we're better than that.
When 'Games of Thrones' is finished, I'm not one to go on about it too long and rest on one's laurels. The stuff that interests me is the work.
I was so hungry when I started attempting acting. Not even to be a professional. Just to find out if I could act.
I did a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company. People say, 'Why aren't you doing theater anymore?' And I say, 'Look, my kids have gotten used to wearing shoes.'
The superheroes have taken over all the screens in the world. And good luck to them: they're making a lot of money for a lot of people. But the studios are going to become victims of their own success. People are going to get bored with that stuff.
I've spent a lot of years waiting for the right thing to come in - and now, after 'Thrones,' there's a possibility that I could actually have a hand in getting something made.