My career is chequered. Then I think I got pigeon-holed in humour; Shakespeare is not my thing.

The performances you have in your head are always much better than the performances on stage.

The performances you have in your head are always much better than the performances on stage.

It`s true I don`t tolerate fools but then they don`t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that`s why I`m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.

There`s this wonderful first assistant and he`ll be saying, `Now Harry goes down among the dragons.` You have to hold yourself together. Because if you lose it for a second then you`re sunk.

I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it`s there and then it`s gone.

I still miss him so much it`s ridiculous. People say it gets better but it doesn`t. It just gets different, that`s all. Even in my dream I kept saying to him, `You are dead. You can`t be here.` [on her second husband Bev]

It`s true I don`t tolerate fools but then they don`t tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that`s why I`m quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies.

I wanted to be a serious actress, but of course that didn`t really happen. I did Desdemona [at the National, opposite Olivier] with great discomfort and was terrified all the time. But then everyone was terrified of Larry.

But there was an incredible nervousness about him. You couldn`t do this, couldn`t do that. Mustn`t ride a bike, you`d be bound to fall off. Couldn`t swim, you`d most certainly drown. [on her father]

I tend to head for what`s amusing because a lot of things aren`t happy. But usually you can find a funny side to practically anything.

I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it`s there and then it`s gone.

Chris and Toby are far too sane to be upset any more.

Jude is the most incredibly level person. Generous, understanding. All the things I`d have to work very hard at, Jude is like that all the time. I would love to be like that. And working with Jude you have to try to remember that you ought to be like that. [on her friend Judi Dench]

[on roles] "When you get into the granny era, you`re lucky to get anything."

I love it, I`m privileged to do it and I don`t know where I`d be without it. [on acting]

People say it gets better but it doesn`t. It just gets different, that`s all.

I said `It can`t go on` and he said `No, it can`t.` Honestly, I don`t think I could have mattered less to him by then. But by then, nothing mattered to him.

One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, and one`s still acting.

I longed to be bright and most certainly never was. I was rather hopeless, I suspect.