Emily Watson thinks "you have to be a bit of an idiot to be an actor".
The 57-year-old star - who has enjoyed a hugely successful career on stage and screen - admits she was "very, very green" when she was nominated for an Oscar for her debut film role in 'Breaking the Waves', the 1996 melodrama film.
Speaking to the Observer newspaper, Emily recalled: "I was very, very green and I was just going where I was told. I don’t think I ever had an instinct for it; you either have or you haven’t.
"I think I’m good at what I do because I’m an idiot. You have to be a bit of an idiot to be an actor."
Asked to elaborate on her comments, Emily explained: "Well, at some level, it’s like being a small kid when you believe in Santa. Somewhere inside you - or this is how I do it anyway - I really believe it.
"Obviously, not all of me thinks that, because I know that, you know, my son needs some school shoes or whatever. But that allows you to abandon yourself to something in a way that is really quite stupid. In a good way, I think."
Emily acknowledges that acting work doesn't provide much stability or certainty. But the movie star actually finds the uncertainty to be "quite exciting", admitting that she has a "great life".
The actress shared: "It is quite exciting, except for the fact that I’m in my 50s and I’ve got teenagers and a house and a dog. And sometimes you go: 'God, I wish they’d told me when I was 22 that I’d be living out of a suitcase my entire life.' But I’m not complaining, because it’s a great life, and I love it."
