Matt Smith

Matt: (on the Eleventh Doctor and his companion, Amy Pond): He's a lot less tolerant than a lot of Doctors and she's got a fire in her soul, in her belly, and so they combust together ... but there's a great affection and love there.

Matt (on getting the role as The Doctor): When I got the role I paced around the room for about three days because I didn't know what to do. I was just smiling and thought 'I'm the Doctor!' It's weird!

Matt: I just want to try and make brave choices and not get too het up about ladders. Look at the careers of people like Michael Gambon and Ian McKellen. Learn your craft. I'm still rough around the edges and I want to keep on improving.

Matt (on his Brazilian girlfriend): It's a bloody nightmare because she's 6,000 miles away. But what can you do when you're in love?

Matt (on working with Christian Slater in the play, "Swimming with Sharks"): He's cool, Christian, I liked him. He's a good guy but I had a tough time, for a variety of reasons. I'd never done that length of run before. It was quite a learning curve.

Matt (on performing in the play "That Face" eight times a week): I'm going to have to be disciplined. I'm going to have to drink less. No pints after work.

Matt (on acting at the National Youth Theatre): As a young actor, there is no better place to learn your craft.

Matt (on David Tennant as the tenth Doctor in "Doctor Who"): David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.

Matt (on being cast as the eleventh Doctor on "Doctor Who"): I'm just so excited about the journey that is in front of me. It's a wonderful privilege and challenge that I hope I will thrive on.

Matt (on being cast as the Eleventh Doctor): I'm flabbergasted. I haven't slept really to be honest. Truthfully, I haven't. I probably look a bit 'bags under the eyes' now because it's sort of an iconic part of our culture. My granddad knows about it, my Dad knows about it, it's been around since 1963 and I think it has the iconic kind of status that Robin Hood or Sherlock Holmes have and I'm sort of taking that on.

Matt (on his acting choices): I quite like the transitions of being an actor, because you get to explore these little pockets of life. So if you're playing a builder you get to know about building, if you're playing a scientist or a physician or something you get to know about physics. And similarly with this world I like exploring their culture, that very sort of upper middle class, addictive… that's part of the reason I love it.

Matt: (on getting into acting): What sealed the deal for me was joining the National Youth Theatre, going up to London and spending the summer doing plays with them. I did Murder in the Cathedral in 2003, playing Thomas a Becket, and the next year I was in The Master and Margarita.

Matt (on working with Lindsay Duncan in "That Face"): I completely admire her. She's a constant source of information - not only about acting but about life and love. She's a cool cat. There's something very rock 'n' roll about her.