People in the U.K. absolutely love my character in 'Downton,' and in equal measure, people absolutely hate him, and that's all I wanted.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I always hated Tony Blair, from the beginning.
I would assume most people hate my character. But I'm hoping that I'm the character you love to hate.
I am a huge 'Downton Abbey' fan - huge!
Every actor has to love and loathe the character he plays.
I just love real characters; they're not pretentious, and every emotion is on the surface, they're regular working people. Their likes, their dislikes, their loves, their hates, their passions; they're all right there on the surface.
I'm telling you, every film I've ever made has been hated by the U.K. critics.
I think the reason why people love 'Downton Abbey' is because all the characters are given the same weight. Some are nice, some are not, but it has nothing to do with class or oppressors versus the oppressed.
I'm a big fan of Tony Blair. I'm not saying that I think his judgment has always been right, but I look at him as a person.
The American obsession with 'Downton' amuses me slightly because it's such a fiction. I've always been questioned about my historical veracity, and 'Downton' just flies past, when it's completely made up.
I've never disliked a character I've played. I've always tried to find the humanity and the reasons for what he does.