Louise Lombard

Louise: My parents are probably the biggest influence in my life. I still find myself listening to them when I'm taking a decision. I have a very good relationship with my father. If I have problems, I can talk them through with him. He's a very wise man. He would say that at the end of the day, when your head hits the pillow, you have to deal with what you've done that day. And if you can't face that, then something's got to change. My mother Is a strong woman - very much a fighter - and I think i've inherited my strength, which some people might call stubbornness, from her.

Louise: I went straight from school into acting. As a teenager, I wasn't necessarily qualified to make a life decision about my future. When I left school, it wasn't because I thought education was unimportant; there was always the thought I might return to it one day. Ultimately, I just think that an unexamined life is not worth living.

Louise: Before I met Jon, I didn't really understand why people got married. I honestly believed I never would. It would have been so much more exotic to have been untraditional, and I just couldn't see myself being with one person for the rest of my life. But when I met Jon, I pretty much knew straightaway. But we met on set and that is a big no-no. You don't form relationships with people you're working with.

Louise: Someone asked me the other day what it was like being the prettiest girl in the school. The answer is that I have no idea. I was the geeky, clever one who was always trying to be part of the crowd and never quite managing it.

Louise: I've come to accept that physical appearance is part of the package you have to offer. Rightly or wrongly, mainstream movies are driven by conventional requirements. And, unless you are reconciled to that, you're going to be continually frustrated and driven insane.

Louise Lombard: (On her American accent) It just comes and goes. Interviewer: Does no-one ever say you need to curl that 'R' a bit more Louise? Louise: (laughing) No one ever says that. They send me additional voice recordings, telling me there was a plane travelling over, or something.

Louise Lombard: (After being asked if she was nervous joining CSI so late) Absolutely. I've done enough TV series to know how tight that bond is with a cast. It very quickly becomes a tight family unit. I joined in the fifth season and I thought the producers were crazy, trying to bring in a new character. It was an unfounded fear, but I was anxious.

Louise Lombard: It's been a total life change. I'm not a domestic creature at all. I don't even know where the dishwasher is!