How did you feel about wearing a kilt for your role in "The 51st State"?
The costumer gave me a book on kilts that said "if you can't wear a kilt with confidence, don't put it on". But I felt very comfortable in it - that whole "Braveheart" thing kicked in. When I asked what I should wear under it I was instructed "your wife's lipstick"! Some days I had to put underwear on - the studio didn't want to have to pay for extra digital erasing!
How did you choose Robert Carlyle as your partner in crime?
I was always talking about Robert but I'd never met him. So he flew into LA, and as soon as we made eye contact we immediately broke into great big smiles, so we knew we'd get along famously. The wonderful thing for me is that this is not your typical American buddy bonding movie where the two guys beat each other to pulp before they respect each other. These guys find a common ground and so reach an understanding - which is more how people really get together rather than that thing we always see in movies. It was also important that this film was told from a British perspective, so American audiences can feel the way I feel until they adjust the way my character adjusts.
Which is your favourite or most memorable role so far?
The most enjoyable is the one that I'm playing at the moment. I guess the most memorable one is "Pulp Fiction" because not a day goes by without someone asking me what you call a Royale with cheese in France! Now everyone's downloading my movie quotes off the internet and I call people's houses and I'm on their answering machine!
