Quotes from Dervla Kirwan

I didn't grow up reading magazines; I was very much in an environment where that would have been deemed trivial, frivolous.

I never discuss my troubles in a relationship. It's best to just keep those thoughts to yourself.

I think if you contribute to a job, and it's repeated and repeated, and sold over the world, and the producers are making millions, you should benefit from it.

There's a difference between loneliness and solitude. You pursue solitude, I think. But loneliness is a completely different isolating thing.

I really want to work with Mike Leigh.

The actor's job is to put themselves in the shoes of the character they are trying to portray as truthfully as possible.

Twenty or 30 years ago, certainly when my mother was my age, I'm sure she felt things were pretty over for her. You had your kids when you were 20. You brought them up. They left home. Then what do you do? While I feel genuinely optimistic. Well, I have no other choice.

When I was about nine, I was rushed to hospital to have my appendix removed. Like any child, I was more concerned about missing out on having fun with my friends than my health.

Who hasn't had an argument with their mother-in-law?

Spending time away from family during filming, I think, for every working mum is always difficult. But it has to be done; there's no way round it you've just got to do it.

Los Angeles is not going to be a big naive step for me. I know it's tough out there, but I do think there's a place for Irish actors in that market.

I'd never scan the starters and main courses on a menu in a restaurant as a child. I'd want a dessert for starter, for main course and for dessert.

Ballykissangel' made me a household name, and I am enormously grateful for that, but I don't feel it would ever have developed me into a better actress had I stayed.

I am very scatty, I don't follow things through, I forget things. I am not perfect.

I'm only 5ft 2in so a significant increase in weight is really going to be noticed.

I just love being in the middle of nowhere.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) runs in my family, as do other mental health problems.

The very nature of acting is one minute you're up and the next you're down; one minute you're in favour and the next you're forgotten. You go away and you come back again.

I ate ostrich. I'm not very proud of it. I was going through a very experimental period and probably during foot and mouth. It was exquisite, but I felt very guilty.

I think I've got some actor's form of ADHD. I just can't do the same thing day in, day out.

Sometimes, people are attracted to each other without knowing what or why or when it happens.

At first I didn't want to get involved with another actor. But Rupert is a lovely man who is clearly a great dad.

The main thing I've done for my children is not to give them a stupid name, like actors do.