Quotes from Michelle Dockery

If Shakespeare was around today I would ask him out to dinner. The only thing I don't like about him is the way he did his hair.

The way I see it, the third series of 'Downton Abbey' is all about change and how each character adapts to those changes.

I think so often you can come out of drama school and get thrown in the deep end.

Silk scarves are my thing. I tie them to my handbag or thread them through belt loops or wear them in my hair. Never round my neck, though.

For years, I was often afraid to speak up when I didn't fully understand a script. I'd tie myself in knots.

I think the first time I realised Downton Abbey was a hit was when I was sitting in a tea shop in New York and the couple next to me were talking about Downton Abbey, and then they recognised me.

I wasn't an academic. I hated maths and science at school. I couldn't concentrate.

It's old news, me and my accent, but it always seems to make headlines.

I'm not accident prone, really, but I was cutting something and sort of lost control, and it went through my big toe. There was a lot of blood and I nearly fainted, but its totally fine now.

I regret not learning to drive when I was younger.

The journey matters as much as the destination. By engaging in the moment on set, I've stopped rushing and now find pleasure in the collaborative process - the characters, the costumes - rather than worrying about the finished product.

'Expect nothing and hope for the best' is my mantra. A drama teacher called Joseph Blatchley told me that, and it's the best advice I've had. If you keep an open mind and don't expect too much, then you won't be disappointed.

Shakespeare and his work will always be relevant. He wrote those pieces hundreds of years ago and we haven't really changed as humans, have we? We have to deal with love, honour and adultery now - people were the same then, too - that's what's so wonderful and powerful.

I don't have to walk around in hats or find remote places to go for lunch! I don't get recognised that often.

My family keeps me sane. I try to talk to my mum every other day. After I get off the phone, I have a renewed sense of clarity, so I guess a problem shared is a problem lost. It's important to me to keep them close.

Shakespeare is renewed each time you see it or read it. I've seen 'Midsummer Night's Dream' so many times, and each time it's a little different, or a different line leaps out at me. It's like re-reading a good book over and over, always noticing something you hadn't seen the time before - and that's rare.

I love discovering tiny streets.

I love singing live, actually. And I'm dying to sing in a role, whether it's in a musical or a biographical film about a singer. It's always been one of my aspirations.

I love cycling, but if I could find a way of building something above the streets for cyclists, that would be amazing. We need even more space.

I'd like to do something that involves music.

I had dance training from a very young age, 3 or 4... It taught me how to present myself, about preparation and working in an ensemble, and it's something that carries with me to this day.

Being in the same scenes as Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine is something I will never forget.

In my twenties, I was a bit of a worrier; it bothered me what people thought of me, what job I was doing.

I've had moments of thinking maybe I should go on Twitter. It's something that I've been shy about, and I've thought that maybe I should do it.