Quotes from Gina Bellman

There is nothing worse than sitting in the make-up trailer knowing that the whole crew are twiddling their thumbs waiting for you to change your hair from straight to curly or up to down. Sometimes it can't be avoided.

There was a time when going out to parties and dinner parties and clubs was an exciting thing to do. I'd wake up in the morning and immediately think, 'Now what am I doing tonight?' Now I'd be more likely to reach for a book.

I don't like dressing up, and I don't like putting on make-up or doing the red carpet. The only red carpet events I go to are if I'm supporting a friend.

I don't like crowds or attention.

Any friendship or relationship is about a language.

Some directors are really strong on action, manhandling you around the set; others are very focused on setting up the camera shots and practically ignore you. You have to get used to introverts, extroverts, directors who clown around for the crew, and the odd one who's monosyllabic.

When I get a new script, I write a record of how many costume and make-up changes I have. I cross-check them against the shooting schedule and then consult with the hair and make-up designers.

I've had my taste of intense fame, and I've got it out of my system. Now I'm free to choose parts which fulfil me in different ways.

When you shoot on high-definition, everything is very sharp and clear, sometimes at the cost of losing dimension and depth of field.

Many American TV actors employ agents, managers, business managers, publicists and stylists, and are now adding digital media manager to the list. Their job is to reach out to the fans, managing websites, Twitter feeds, Facebook and Wikipedia.

Every person has parallel tracks. You have your personal life or your life as an artist, or whatever it is you do.

Some people think it's an easy gig working as an extra, but you often have to stay very concentrated for long stretches in challenging conditions.

My mother always said I should have a back-up profession if the acting doesn't work out.

I've never worked in my natural accent, having studied so hard to get rid of it when I moved to England as a child where I was bullied at school for 'talking funny.'

I love those connections that make this big old world feel like a little village.

I eat tons, three full meals a day, and I never go to the gym. When I was a child, my geography teacher said, 'You may be slim now but if you carry on eating like that, you'll end up being really fat.' Fortunately, I really don't think I've changed much in the past two decades, so that teacher was an idiot.

I took part in two 'Leverage' conventions. Fans fly in from as far as Russia and Australia. It's expensive to attend.

The only time I get recognised is when I go somewhere that is showing 'Coupling' on local television.

I've now learned that the most stressful day of filming a TV series is the first day of a new episode. You haven't quite banked the one you just wrapped and are wondering, 'Did I do that right?' 'Could I have done that better?'

I have always liked family-type dramas; I just think the dynamics in families make for some really interesting characters.

It's always fun messing around with costumes and stuff. You know there is an element of acting that you've got to dress-up; that's part of it.

Every name in a TV show has to be run by the legal department first.

One of the things you have to get used to, working on a TV show, is filming out of sync.

Fans believe they have a relationship with you, either through your TV character or, more reasonably, through the tweets you may have exchanged. In a way, you have gotten to know them. You learn about people's kids, families, pets.