I was on a tour of a Restoration comedy in 1996, and in Moscow we stayed at the Metropole hotel, off Red Square. The food there was opulent, but in the Maly theatre canteen, there were just a few pieces of rye bread, peanuts, and gherkins. I stood in the queue and burst into tears.

Nicola Walker

Categorized in : Food Tears Comedy Red

I am very good at keeping secrets, except when I am drunk, when I will tell you absolutely anything.

i-am good you drunk

Don't worry about fitting in - it's completely over-rated.

fitting-in about fitting worry

At home, people very rarely recognise me.

very me home people

I've always had a resting expression that either makes me look deep in thought or as though I'm about to fight you. I've lost count of the number of directors asking me what the problem is when all I'm doing is sitting still and being.

fight look me you

I don't really have a treasured possession, but I do love my family's proper old photo album. We all have hundreds of photos on our phones now, but you can't beat the old albums stuffed with black-and-white wedding photographs and 1970s Polaroids.

you wedding family love

I just want to carry on doing high-quality work.

doing just want work

Once you've sat in a room annoying Derek Jacobi while he's trying to do his crossword, you're prepped for working with the greats.

room you annoying trying

There are a lot of women - directors, producers, writers - involved in my career. They are all interested in telling good stories, and good stories involve men and women.

good men-and-women women men

When you're working, you're in the present, but you've always got one eye on where your next job might be coming from, and I don't think that will ever go away.

job think you eye

I get quite fearful about interviews, so I sought advice from other actors.

quite about get advice

We bought a sofa with the money I made from 'Thunderbirds,' and I've still got it, and we call it Thunderbird 1. That's literally all I got out of the job.

call out job money

I'd do anything with Tom Courtenay.

tom anything

As I get older, I get happier.

happier older get

I am not a morning person.

person i-am morning-person morning

Breakfast is a battle. I never feel like eating, but I have now found my way to porridge. I have it with full-fat milk and banana.

feel battle eating breakfast

I'm married to a vegetarian, so if ever we go out to dinner, I go for kidneys.

out go dinner vegetarian

Roast potatoes - I can't say no. At Christmas, I reach over for the fifth or sixth one, and I think I could keep going until I explode.

say think keep-going christmas

Derek Jacobi is probably our finest actor.

actor our finest

I'd be an absolutely appalling detective... Appalling.

appalling detective absolutely

We lived in so many flats, and the more people you could get, the cheaper the flat was. Someone was always sleeping in the living room, and you're always slightly hiding them when the landlord came round.

someone you always people