- Daniel Day-Lewis stated him as one of his biggest acting inspirations, along with Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and Marlon Brando.
- He is a big fan of Jodie Whittaker and - as a big fan of Doctor Who (2005) (he has even appeared in the series) - he tweeted to express his delight at her casting as the first woman Doctor. He also said anyone who questioned it was talking "claptrap".
- A 2013 article in The Guardian described him as "the unsung hero of British character acting" and "a British acting great" because "he can play men so gentle you'd like to keep them as pets... Or he might bite your hand off".
- He regularly works with the director Mike Leigh.
- He has appeared in two films set in Brighton in 1964: Quadrophenia (1979) and Brighton Rock (2010).
- He has a daughter Amy (born 2002) and a son Hugo (born 1996).
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