Natascha McElhone

Natascha: I'm trying to lead a balanced life, being happily married and having children. I'm not really built for fame.

Natascha: (About when she first met her husband) When I first met him, I was dating his flatmate.

Natascha: 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 realize that I'm so completely in the back seat.

Natascha: If someone approaches me in the street, I'm on the defensive. Some actors are like flowers basking in the sun - they love the attention, and the fans get what they want. With me it's different. I know the fans aren't getting what they want. And I'm certainly not getting what I want.

Natascha: My only rule has been to chop and change. I don't want to be predictable or typecast - but, more importantly, I don't want to bore myself or become complacent about what I do.

Natascha: I remember going to premieres and always going in the side entrance of the cinema. It wasn't till much later that I made it up the red carpet. I wasn't being defiant, I just didn't get it.

Natascha: Imagine you fall in love. It feels fabulous. Then every day you have to complete a questionnaire about it. 'What kind of love is it? How do you feel about it in the morning? And at night?' Suddenly you're analyzing something that seemed intuitive. That's how it felt with acting. I was forced to dismantle what I felt about it. And when it comes time to 're-mantle,' it's not the same as it was.

Natascha: 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 realize that I'm so completely in the back seat.

Natascha: I have wanted to act since I was three and that is what I hunger for. I want to play roles that are as diverse and contradictory as possible. As for the rest, I can take it or leave it. I know we are living in this world that is celebrity-obsessed and that comes hand in hand with making movies. In an adult way I try to accept and understand that, and so I do the requisite publicity.