“There are so many elements that make a good film. You need a great director who’s driving it.”

I can’t think of anything worse than trying to schmooze someone with the idea that you’re an actor.

The thing about travelling is that you work hard and play hard, but you can do all those things without your parents knowing.

I was lucky enough, when I was younger, to have the chance to do as much as possible, and I found what I wanted to do. I did swimming, gymnastics, kickboxing and the one that took off more than the others was acting.

I don’t like to be me. I’m not so comfortable being me on screen because then I’d be a presenter. I’m not Jimmy Fallon.

Anyone who’s got a guitar, you like to pick it up. I can play a couple of songs, some ’50s rock and roll, a bit of Elvis. That’s it, really – I’m not a musician, I’m not a singer.

It’s great when talented people in the world, in the same business, can see your work and compliment you on what you’re doing and take a strong interest in your movements in your career.

I think with anything where you delve into the back story of an artist, it kind of explains their work more intimately.

I’m constantly trying to find something that’s different from me, whereas some actors do the same thing, again and again. That’s not for me.

I grew up in the ’90s. I listened to a lot of The Clash, Velvet Underground and Roxy Music. I wasn’t into Boyzone, or anything.

I was always told at school that you had to have a back-up plan, but all I ever wanted to do was act. There was no plan B for me.

Life is more important than ‘what film I do next.

It’s funny because if you ever ask anyone in England to try and do a Beatles accent, no one knows what they really sound like. If you ask anyone in America, they would try and give it a go. English people just know their songs.

I knew the Beatles songs and how influential they are to other bands, but I’m not a fanatic, so I could look outside the box and observe.

I’m always looking for something that’s versatile from the last.

I get on fine with my mum and dad, but if they want to see the grandchildren, they come to me.

I was brought up by a really proud, supportive family, so I have that sort of grounding.

But you really – I always think that a director has got to adapt to whatever the needs of the actor are. You know, so if you take someone like Eddie Murphy, who is not a big fan of rehearsal.

I do think that’s so much a part of what being a director is – in working with actors – to really try and be sensitive to what each actor needs to get to where he wants to be.

As a director you already have a script, you have actors… you have collaborators when you’re a director.

I came up in the community center. I used to be physical director of the South Central Community Center in Chicago on 83rd. It’s still there. It used to be around there when I was a kid.

“A good director is one that lets you improv,” that’s ridiculous. There’s some actors who should not be improving and there are some scripts that should not be touched. I think it’s just a case by case basis.

I operate the camera, I always do it when I’m the director, and I like to approach it as a documentary, finding the images based on what happens, as it happens.

I think a lot of good directors listen to music while they’re working. The songs just don’t become a part of the film. They’re replaced.

There are some directors, lesser in confidence or skill, who make the actor feel very uncomfortable because you feel you’re auditioning for them, every day, and that’s a terrible feeling on the set.