What was it like to play Lorimer?

When I was reading the script it became clear this was the best part that I had ever had. The writing is high quality. It's ambitious, funny, real and complex. And I was surprised something like this was being made for a primetime audience. It reminded me of '80's dramas like The Singing Detective. They were stories that had a moral, satirical and political edge to them. I thought they weren't making programmes like those anymore.

What kind of issues does Armadillo address?

I think that part of the job of people working in the arts is to reflect what is going on in society. I think Armadillo does this supremely well. It examines the idea of whether everyone can be bought. We're all obsessed with money to the extent that we no longer have anything that constitutes a soul, or an identity. It's a moral satire of our times.

Who inspired you?

Daniel Day Lewis was my hero when I was starting out. He showed what was possible. I fell in love with the camera because it is so intimate. It allows you to be totally spontaneous.

You worked in the US for a while -- how did you find that?

We are never going to have an industry here that can compete with Hollywood. Hollywood is somewhere people go to make money and to get a profile. Los Angeles is fun for a while. The weather is great and everyone's very nice. It can be very seductive, but it gets boring after a while. Mind you, if any of the things I had done had been hugely successsful, things would be different. When you have success, you have access to the best scripts.

So you think there's a difference between English and American writing?

What we have in England is this tradition of working with a single writer. I'm a great believer that it's the writer who creates the character. It's not writing by committee, and it's not writing according to market research. We have a tradition, a literary heritage that comes from the theatre and the novel that is about writers and their interpretations of the world.

Do you think TV programmes are dumbing-down?

TV has become about trying to get the highest ratings, trying to enchant audiences with what they already know. Of course, television has to be entertaining. I just think that sometimes it comes at a cost, and it's important for us to be aware of what we're losing out on. But then something like Armadillo comes along and reminds you that all is not dark.

Do you see much of your family?

I spend a lot of time with my brothers and sisters. They're really important to me. If I'm feeling down, or alone, or frightened, it's always them I turn to. When I was a teenager I was very keen to leave home. I just wanted to get into the world and do things.