They shut down kids' homes, for a number of reasons, and I was part of that transition into foster care. That's all well and good if it's populated by people who feel their work is paid decently and supported.
My favorite television show of all time is 'Hill Street Blues.' I think it's the show that is to television what Pele was to football or Muhammad Ali was to boxing.
The death penalty in the U.S. has become a political tool - and it should never be that.
I did a film once in the Sahara. It was pretty awe-inspiring. I remember sitting up on the roof of our hotel, watching the sun go down, and all around me, for 360 degrees, was nothing but sand. It took your breath away but also made you feel tiny.
If you look in real life, it is very hard to describe people as good people, bad people, heroes or villains. People aren't bad people. They all have their justifications.
I will say that when I first came out to the States to work on 'Jericho,' that was the only time that I've ever been frightened about a job, because in America they tell stories over such a long time, and I was petrified that I'd get bored.
The breadth of work that's possible is wider and deeper for someone who looks like me in the States than it is in the U.K.
I don't usually like talking about acting or what my process is, and all those kinds of things, because I don't necessarily think it's helpful to talk about how I do my job.
I'm part of that generation that grew up watching TV, and being an actor was all about being on TV or being in films.
I became politicised in my mid teens, at the time of ska and 2 Tone and the Anti-Nazi League, when I'd get dressed up for a night out in my white socks and loafers, and the last thing I'd hear is, 'Have a good night - be careful of the police.'
My thing is, I like playing guys who have a really interesting internal monologue.
I like to come home regularly and, when I do, I need something to do on Saturdays. I can't think of anything better than the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
One of the things I learnt over the years is that there is a craft to writing, like there is a craft to acting. I hadn't done my apprenticeship as a writer. I did try to be a writer for hire but I'm not any good at it.
I owe 'Jericho' my whole time in America, really. It was a fantastic group of people to work with.
I love writing but don't get a huge amount of time to do it.
The fact that I lost my mum was horrible, and if I could change anything, I would definitely change that.
I went to an all boys' school in South London and the only god was sport.
'The State Within' demands a certain intelligence from its audience. It doesn't just wash over you - it asks for commitment. And that's a really good thing.
When I'm playing an American, I don't play Lennie with an American accent. They're American characters who look like me, but they have different voices.
One of the things I liked about playing Tony Gates in 'Line of Duty' was that I don't think he gave much thought to justifying his actions until he was under investigation.
