My grandparents never understood why my mother Noreen chose such exotic names for her children: Damon and me. My granny insisted on calling my brother Dermot - a good Irish name - until she died; I was just known as wee one. Natascha McElhone More Quotes by Natascha McElhone More Quotes From Natascha McElhone I play Nitin Sawhney's 'Letting Go' repeatedly, nonstop. I find it transformative. I'm so glad iPods were invented so I didn't have to drive everyone around me mad with the repetition. Natascha McElhone ipods play letting-go I always think I love work, and I knew early on that I wanted to be an actress. Then I meet people who have truly dedicated their lives to acting, and I realise that Im so completely in the back seat. Natascha McElhone acting people thinking Growing up, I wasn't allowed dolls, and my brothers weren't allowed guns. I inherited my brothers' clothes. I was never dressed in pink, and they were never dressed in blue; there were none of those rules that people still bizarrely subscribe to. Natascha McElhone growing-up gun brother Living with very limited expectations is a much more immediate way of living. You really do just make the best of everything you have. I guess kids have that ability; they wait in joyful anticipation of something rather than that sense of entitlement. Natascha McElhone expectations waiting kids I think the difference between finding happiness, or moments of happiness, is how you choose to interpret things. That's a rather shocking responsibility. That we're responsible for our own happiness. It's not those around us. Natascha McElhone differences responsibility thinking I always keep myself busy. I'm writing. Or I'm creating something. Or I'm doing stuff with the kids. I'm up incredibly early in the morning; I go to bed incredibly late at night. Natascha McElhone writing morning kids My stepfather introduced me to The London Library when I was about 18; the clientele has definitely changed since then, but it is still a wonderful oasis in the middle of London. Natascha McElhone oasis library london I grew up with my stepfather in Brighton, but I did spend a lot of time with my natural father, and I was loved by both, so I suppose the advantage of this was that I wasn't bound by one set of experiences; I always had an alternative. Natascha McElhone alternatives natural father I first met my husband when I was 15. He was very cool, in a band, all that kind of thing, but he took a long time to grow up. Our paths crossed again 10 years later, and after about two weeks I knew that was it. I'm glad I met him when I did, even though I was fairly young. Because I think sometimes you can crystallise into singledom. Natascha McElhone growing-up husband thinking I think it's incumbent on actresses to bring something else to the part which isn't in the script. Natascha McElhone actresses scripts thinking In terms of 'Solaris,' I didn't really think about the religious aspect an awful lot. There's one scene at a dinner party, and it's discussed, but it wasn't an overwhelming theme for me. Natascha McElhone party religious thinking I don't believe in categorising a gender, as it makes for discord. People always say, 'That's what men are like' or, 'That's what women do'; I don't really feel that at all. I think that's because I have two fathers, three brothers, a husband and two sons. I'm surrounded by maleness, and I couldn't possibly summarise them into a type. Natascha McElhone husband brother father My kids always say to me, 'Can we watch TV?' I say, 'Absolutely!' because then I can get something done. But then they say, and I wait for it, 'But can you watch with us?' My moment of freedom vanishes. So not only do I not think TV's that great and I hate sitting in front of it, but I have to with them. Natascha McElhone hate kids thinking I'm very different to my mum. I'm not as beautiful as she is, nor - she probably despairs about this - as groomed. I certainly rebelled against her idea of looking well turned-out. I spent several years with a shaved head in jeans and baggy shirts. Natascha McElhone jeans beautiful years I have a massive divide between being a competent human being and being completely hopeless, when it comes to logic. Natascha McElhone logic hopeless humans Death is final. No it is not just final, it's worse than that, it's diminishing: the dead continue to decrease, to occupy less space. Natascha McElhone decrease finals space I feel awful for women who are trying to raise kids on their own, with zero income and no fathers present - that's single motherhood. Natascha McElhone zero mom father Scribbling things down is my therapy. I filter later. Natascha McElhone filters therapy I happen to find motherhood a very natural state, but I know a lot of other people don't. Natascha McElhone motherhood natural people My concentration span is truly that of a gnat. Some people have this ladder, and that's all there is - the ladder. I have the ladder, too, but there's a building around it with scaffolding, and lots of windows for me to peek into. Then suddenly I'll remember, 'Oh, there's the ladder. I should be concentrating on that.' Natascha McElhone some-people me remember people
