Quotes

The arses on the trousers aren't very tight. They're very loose and baggy and I like tight trousers. And the shoes - the shoes have got a bit of a heel, and it's a strange sensation for a man. Especially when you're running. He mimes a mincing trot. "I am mighty Hornblower! Watch me run like a girl!"

[on his Titanic (1997) experience]: Yeah, I was lucky because I didn't have to spend hours in freezing water. There weren't many people my age on set, so Kate (Kate Winslet), Leo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and I hung out together. We would pile into Leo's dressing room, which was full of PlayStations, mini basketball hoops and the like.

[on Horatio Hornblower]: I think people are attracted to the character because he's not a hero in the traditional sense. He's not a natural leader, he's just a young man with a very bright mind. He's compassionate, he hates injustice and he will stand up and fight when he's pushed to the limit.

I'm determined not to lose my name. It's who I am. It has neither aided my progress nor hampered it. It's just who I am. My character. My make-up. My culture and heritage is a very rich one. So what if it's difficult for people to pronounce? We all learned how to say Schwarzenegger.

As long as you understand that you find happiness through family, friends and love, then money is just a nice bonus.

They say the most successful people are the ones who have failed more than they have succeeded.

I was probably doing more to pigeonhole myself as a Welshman and a Welsh actor than anyone else! A lot of the stuff I said in the past sounded defensive - a young man's ideals about who I am and where I'm from. I realize I don't have to force that on people, but just use it as a safety net, to stride out into the world knowing that I have a strong sense of identity. Because we're all landlocked in this nation together and we should be celebrating it.

Being attractive, it's not something I do consciously. It's incredibly flattering that people think I appeal to women. But that was a gift from my parents. My acting, my personality - that's what it's about.

There's a physicality and confidence to Americans; they're very present. That's something I enjoy being around because it rubs off on you. Although an actor friend of mine visited recently and said, "It's no wonder they write such terrible scripts these days, there's no pain! Everything's so nice you can't be bothered."

As a teacher's child, I found that automatic respect for authority wasn't necessarily a good thing. My philosophy was all about pleasing everyone and getting it right, rather than challenging and asking questions. It's only now I'm getting the confidence to do that because, in America, they're not scared as a nation to ask questions and have a really heated debate.

In the past, I have felt slightly pigeon-holed with the success of roles like Hornblower, all ruffled shirts and wonderful costumes. I think Launcelot was the turning point because he's more masculine, more dangerous, which goes hand in hand with me growing older. I want longevity, so I'm always trying to escape the way I'm perceived - you know, Ioan the soft-spoken Welshman.

I finished filming Fantastic Four (2005) last Christmas and I haven't worked since then and I'm starting to feel a bit angsty and wondering when the next job will come. Of course, you have to have the belief that yes, something will come up but, the reality is, that you just never know. It's that competitive out there.

I admitted a long time ago that I wanted to go to Hollywood because there are more opportunities there, and I wanted to work in movies. Movies are my first love. And that's why I went. I don't feel any added pressure, because I've already admitted it in the first place. It's a nice feeling having people support you because you are a British actor trying to become an international star.

I wouldn't want to say that one thing is better than the other. As an actor, you have to love every character you've played. I'm proud of what I've done here.

I don't feel the pressure myself. You have to understand that obviously the way you look is influencing the casting. Not to sound vain, but you have to have a third eye looking at yourself objectively, asking why you're being cast in these roles. It would be mad not to realize this. I can't change the way I look, and people seem to think it works for the leading man, and I rather enjoy that.

[When asked about continuing to portray Horatio Hornblower]: I would love to play this character through every stage of his life. I think it would be unique to have an actor playing him from the very early days as a midshipman; through till he's an Admiral. So, I would love to play this character till he perishes.

As an actor, you have to admit you are a show-off. But with so many magazines like Heat, it's diminishing the mystery of going to see somebody on the big screen. The less you know about somebody the better.

I'm auditioning for dozens of parts at the moment, but I'm just not getting them. I can't play someone who's 30 any more... maybe 35 at a push. My confidence has really taken a knock, and the worst thing you can do when you're feeling like that is to go to one of these auditions. You really don't want to come across as desperate, so I've been working with a psychologist to help me overcome all that.

I approach every character the same. There's an instinct for each role. Certainly it's not as easy to get under the skin of someone like Mr. Fantastic because it's all so technical. It's all about moments, moments of action coupled with a lot of scientific jargon. The trick for me was not to make him too much of a nerd, to show that he does have the potential to be Mr. Fantastic.