- Many of those apartment scenes were done in one shot so how technically challenging were they from an acting perspective?
Well it is very very challenging because you rehearse it not a huge amount but you rehearse the points at which you have to be for the camera and then you have to do a bungee jump and hope for the best (laughs).
It was a hand held camera so the cameraman was moving backwards and forwards in front of you -so it's very technical on one level but then you have to within the emotion of the scenes on another.
But I enjoyed doing those scenes the best for the very reason because they were so challenging.
- The film is directed by Woody Allen so how did you find him as a filmmaker?
Well initially I was not exactly disconcerted but it was just so odd to be standing in front of him because he is such an icon - so the first couple of days I was going home thinking 'god I'm working with Woody Allen'.
But I got use to it after a bit and he is very easy, he is not pressured by rehearsal - we didn't work hugely long hours because he liked to get home to see his children.
He doesn't analyse very much but I think he casts very particularly - there are aspects of my personality I have no control over that he obviously thought would be perfect for the character.
He doesn't say a huge amount but when he does it's very pertinent - I enjoyed working with him very much.
- A lot of other actors have said that he is a director that gives you plenty of space as an actor so how much is that a direction that you enjoy?
I enjoy that and it endows you with a certain confidence because initially I had this big role and I'm not a huge film actor it was a big responsibility so I was very nervous and I actually said to Josh Brolin 'he's not saying anything' and he said 'take it as a compliment if he is not saying anything he is pleased'. Actually that does give you confidence after a while.
- You have enjoyed a career that has spanned over forty years so what makes you want to continue?
Gosh, that's a challenging question. I can't imagine doing anything else, I have never done an honest day's work in my life.
But it continues to be stimulating and my work has also been my education and it's my social life, I love the camaraderie of my fellow actors; I'm doing Richard III at the Old Vic with Kevin Spacey at the moment and it's a lovely bunch of actors.
But it has been really hard work, of a very different kind than filming, I hope it will keep my brain cells working as I get older (laughs).
- And how has the way that you choose projects changed over the years?
I don't think that it has changed hugely - I do like to ring the changes and I have been very lucky as I have not been too type cast.
So I do try not to repeat my self and do a variety of roles but I suppose the luxury I have had is... not that I have had choice to do what I want but I have had choice to say no to things.
- In that time you have worked in TV as well as movies, including Spooks and Ballet Shoes, so how does TV and film work compare?
Well they are all are very different I mean for instance at the moment I am working at night - we finish rehearsals then I'm not working during the day so socially that's a very different kind of structure.
You sort of have a bit more control in the theatre over your own performance where as in film an editor can make or break a performance - you can have scenes cut or they choose shots that you don't particularly like.
I do enjoy filming but I do consider myself still to be a bit of a novice and I learn a bit everytime I do a film job and I am very admiring of film actors. But I am very lucky to have been able to have keep a foot in both camps.
- This week you are also back on the big screen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, a 3rd Potter film for you, so how did you find stepping into the big budget blockbuster?
Well I was very honoured to be part of the whole thing, I don't have a huge amount to do. Because the set ups are so huge there was an awful lot of hanging around and waiting but that was a great pleasure because there was a repertory company of actors - we all knew each other so there was a lot of sitting around in each others trailers and having a good gossip. I haven't actually seen this final film yet so I'm looking forward to seeing it.
- How sad are you to see the franchise come to an end?
It's an extraordinary event, I have known those children since they were ten years old and have watched them with great interest. And while the filming may have come to an end the films will go on to be repeated and repeated and will find a whole new generation of follower.
- Finally what is next for you?
After I finish at the Old Vic we then go on an international tour including Beijing, Hong Kong and Sydney and we finish in New York at the beginning of next year - so I'm going to be busy for the next six months. after that I don't know.
You Will Meet A tall Dark Stranger is out on DVD & Blu-Ray now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw