Paul McGann

(speaking out against poor quality stage schools) Paul: If one of my kids turned around and said they wanted to be an actor, then I would try to stop them because I think that really only the ones that can't possibly be stopped or dissuaded should eventually be doing it.

(on filming the dark show "Forgotten") Paul: Paradoxically, usually if you do really bleak pieces, they tend to be the happiest occasions off-set and the opposite is generally true too. On projects that are really funny, people can be very tense. When I filmed a drama about the Irish famine with my brothers a few years ago, we had a scream, even though we couldn't have been working on a bleaker piece. Though it has been relentless and gruelling, filming Forgotten has been an insightful and enjoyable experience.

(on getting together with his "Withnail and I" co-star, Richard E. Grant) Paul: It's good when we're together. We're still mates. Our kids know each other. Very occasionally we're together in the same place - and then it's difficult to pay for a drink. I like that.

(on working with his brothers as a highlight of his career) Paul: When we did The Hanging Gale, working together was a joy - it was easy - there's no professional rivalry.

(on whether he expected to play "Doctor Who") Paul: Are you crazy, of course not, no, not once, no never. Not till Philip Segal phoned me up. I thought it was a case of mistaken identity.

(on his time making the "Doctor Who" film in 1996) Paul: To be honest the film now is like a brief mad memory of some crazy holiday. It just seemed to be over so quickly and there wasn't a lot of control. I just did what I was told and stood there and tried to survive.

(on the fuss about being photographed kissing Catherine Zeta Jones) Paul: If you're going to get photographed kissing the nation's sweetheart you're going to get it. It's fairly arbitrary - she's no longer the nation's sweetheart and nobody cares what I'm doing, so it's tomorrow's chip paper. It's really not worth losing any sleep over, nobody died.

(on his response to being asked to do "Doctor Who") Paul: didn't want to do it as I didn't think I was suitable at all. I thought they were having me on. At the time it was comic actors and comedians being touted for the job so I was just curious why they were asking me, I'm no comic actor. I managed to resist it for about a year and then took the job.

(on British TV) Paul: Telly's powerful, telly can be great - it can be the best medium of all. I think in England we should look to it because we're really good at it.

(on his life after an injury caused him to miss out on the "Sharpe" series) Paul: I was one of those people who wouldn't take out insurance unless someone held a gun to me. I breezed through life generally, most things. I am still confident, especially physically, but it knocks you. And I was skint, that was the abiding problem. It is hard being a dad sometimes, being the breadwinner. But we came through it. I'm fit again. The surgeon said the first part I'd get would probably be some swashbuckling epic and I got The Three Musketeers.

Paul: I don't want to be remembered as the George Lazenby of Doctor Who. (Referring to his single performance as "The Doctor" in the 1996 TV movie revival of the British series.)