Malcolm McDowell

The thing is, I've never been a handsome leading-man type, so let's not kid ourselves.

The villains that I play, I always think that they are grounded, wonderful people with enormous intellects who are very exciting to spend an evening with. I never see them as bad people.

I don't worry about whether I'm making a masterpiece, because I know that if you get just one of those in a lifetime, you should get down on your knees and say 'Thank you!'

My first career ambitions involved turning into a boy; I intended to be either a railway guard or a knight errant.

I would've done anything to work with Satyajit Ray.

The blessing that this film business has given me is that when I walk into a school I automatically have everyone's attention. They want to hear what the guy from 'Con Air' and 'Desperado' has to say.