Quotes from Ben Barnes

My dad is a doctor, a professor of psychiatry, and my mum is a psychotherapist.

When I was at school, I was in choirs more than anything else, from a very young age, about 9 years old. And then I started taking drum lessons.

I only remember the end of my dreams, like waking up at a steering wheel, or falling.

I had two family members involved in World War I: two great-uncles. One of them is on a memorial in France. And the other was a trench runner who survived the war. The average life span of a trench runner was 36 hours, but he survived the whole war.

I think if actors don't think of themselves as funny in real life they think they can't do comedy.

My mum was raised Jewish, my dad is very scientifically minded, and my school was vaguely Christian. We sang hymns in school. I liked the hymns bit, but apart from that, I can take it or leave it. So I had lots of different influences when I was younger.

I had two family members involved in World War I: two great-uncles. One of them is on a memorial in France. And the other was a trench runner who survived the war. The average life span of a trench runner was 36 hours, but he survived the whole war.

I'm not that kind of Bob Dylan, tortured creative.

I think escapism is very important, certainly in my life. I love nothing more than escaping into the world of a film or a novel. To be involved in creating that for other people is a privilege.

I love music, and I love singing.

Half my fan mail comes from Japan.

When I was at school, I was in choirs more than anything else, from a very young age, about 9 years old. And then I started taking drum lessons.

I'd rather be shot than be seen falling out of some trendy club.

My mum was raised Jewish, my dad is very scientifically minded, and my school was vaguely Christian. We sang hymns in school. I liked the hymns bit, but apart from that, I can take it or leave it. So I had lots of different influences when I was younger.

Almost every script that I've gotten has been for sort of the generic Hollywood type. I haven't chosen them. All the ones I have chosen are because I've been fascinated with the source material or because of the script.

When I was younger I didn't really know what genre of music I'd want to do because I'd always done so many different types, so many impressions.

That's the thing, when you play younger characters they're always less casual. You're hungrier or more naive. Those things wane in time.

When I finished school, everyone wanted to go to a good university and become a lawyer or a doctor. My A-levels were sort of chosen for me.

I actually went to university.

I think every film actor secretly wants to be a rock star as well; just that part of the job which requires the extrovert in you. Even if you've become an actor because it's your way of hiding in plain sight, there's still part of you which has that craving.

There are plenty of people in the world who have tried to be rock stars and have not gotten there.

We live in a youth-obsessed, aesthetically obsessed culture. That is no more evident than in the film industry.

I always looked really young for my age. And once I hit 23, 24 and 25, I was then allowed to play the cool 18-year-olds and stuff.

I went to a very academically competitive high school. So I was always quite studious and quiet, just to keep up with the other geniuses who were in my school.