Quotes from Richard C. Armitage

I read everything that Tolkien wrote, and also read biographies of him. I was fascinated by his experiences in World War I, which includes the loss of life of some of his very, very close friends. I think he writes about that a lot in 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings.'

My instruction to my parents is that I would rather they enjoy their retirement than leave me anything when they go. I am much happier watching them enjoying life.

I think that internal conflict works very well, because, after all, all the best drama is fuelled by conflict.

I confess I've got a yearning to go to Los Angeles, but I can't work out if it is because a lot of British actors seem to go or because there's this perception that the bottom has fallen out of British drama, so therefore, it's the place to head for.

I'd like a bit of a crack at some kind of anarchic comedy, but whether or not I'm skillful enough at it all, we'll see.

I think my fighting skills have certainly been improved by working with Peter Jackson.

I try to keep at a non-obsessive level of fitness. It's not about looking great, it's about just feeling good. So I do a lot of yoga. Bikram just blows my mind. It's mental as well as physical; if I don't train, I get very depressed.

Small, slow growth is the best I expect from an investment. I'm a real saver: frugal - like my parents.

People get to know me slowly and over the course of time. I'll probably still be a newcomer when I'm 60.

I've done an awful lot of skiing all over Europe: I've done Italy, Austria, France. I skied loads in New Zealand - I did pretty much every ski slope I could find.

Light, trivial comedy does not appeal - it is not something I go to see.

I know what Twitter is; I don't use it. I don't use Facebook, so luckily, it does zero to my ego.

I'd like to act in a film without special effects.

It's bloody annoying being shy. I'll spend a whole evening at a party asking everyone else about themselves. I'm not being self-deprecating; it's because I'm too shy to talk about myself. So people come away from the evening actually having learnt nothing about me.

I've never been that cute kid that was forgiven for being naughty.

The scariest stunt I've ever done was on 'Captain America.' We were doing some underwater sequence. I was in a submarine, and Chris Evans had to break the glass, and the water had to fill up quickly in the submarine.

A charity donkey is where you sponsor a donkey in a sanctuary and give them three pounds a month to have some donkey nuts or something.

Since real spies are so good, you never really know what actual spying is. But I do think spying is a lot more dangerous than we are led to believe.

Whatever I lack in talent I have in stamina.

The narrative that Peter Jackson has put into 'The Battle of the Five Armies,' it stands alone as a film. Rather than just finishing off the story, it's like a whole new adventure all of its own. I'm very excited about it.

I don't really like making too much of a statement with what I'm wearing.

You know, to an extent, Method acting feels occasionally lazy.

I think most five-foot-two people would be quite offended if they were to be called dwarves.

I've become one of those actors who find it difficult to say 'no' when things are offered.