“I gravitate toward women.”
Women“But let's just say, I'm Irish. I grew up in the 1950s. Religion had a very tight iron fist.”
Religion“I gravitate toward women.”
Women“It's funny, but you get to a time in your life when you think you have all the friends you will ever have.”
Funny“Before 'Schindler's List,' I wouldn't have believed movies had a lot of power for social change.”
Change“Some mornings you wake up and think, gee I look handsome today. Other days I think, what am I doing in the movies? I wanna go back to Ireland and drive a forklift.”
Movies“I did, although I didn't read from page 1 to page 187 but I read chunks of it. I did a little bit of science when I was in the university so I was able to understand the graphs and pie charts and stuff like that. It was extremely dry.”
Science“But I was very, very lucky, and it was a wake up call as far as motorbikes are concerned. I never flirted with death on the bike, but now I'm totally convinced they're death machines.”
Death“But let's just say, I'm Irish. I grew up in the 1950s. Religion had a very tight iron fist.”
Religion“To be honest, I'm scared to death of rollercoaster rides.”
Death“Hollywood is throwing action movies at me.”
Movies“I was an OK boxer, I wasn't great, I was OK, but I loved the discipline of getting together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, usually Saturday afternoons too, with a whole bunch of mates and training, very, very hard for about two-and-half hours.”
Great“I certainly notice the vitality in Belfast, which wasn't there in the Seventies. There was a war going on then. Now there are cranes everywhere. There really is a sense of renewal and hope.”
Hope“Every cliche about kids is true they grow up so quickly, you blink and they're gone, and you have to spend the time with them now. But that's a joy.”
Parenting“For every successful actor or actress, there are countless numbers who don't make it. The name of the game is rejection. You go to an audition and you're told you're too tall or you're too Irish or your nose is not quite right. You're rejected for your education, you're rejected for this or that and it's really tough.”
Education“I came to water late. I learned to swim at the age of 20.”
Age“It's an ongoing joy being a dad.”
Dad“Acting is invigorating. But I don't analyse it too much. It's like a dog smelling where it's going to do its toilet in the morning.”
Morning“I don't think I'm funny.”
Funny“I had done some flimflam movies, but I didn't understand what being an actor meant anymore.”
Movies“I do believe at the end of the night when you're with your family, the character gets hung up on the door like a coat, and is there to be taken on the next morning.”
Family“I have to make it my job to be careful with my family.”
Family