The big stars I felt a kinship with were never the romantic leads. It wasn’t Steve McQueen or Robert Redford – it was people like Walter Matthau and Anthony Quinn. My big hero was Tommy Cooper.

I got a gymnastics scholarship to college, fell in love with my true love of my whole life – who I’m married to now – and he was a virgin too. It was very romantic.

The only thing I would unequivocally say is that I have never had any interest in romantic comedy I just couldn’t do it. I think I’d be terrible.

Maybe I’m naively romantic, but I do believe that spice and excitement doesn’t stop once a couple gets together.

I’ve never felt that I had to take a role in one of those mediocre but hugely budgeted romantic comedies because I want to wear beautiful dresses and have people think I’m pretty and that I get the guy.

When I start to write, words have become physical presence. It was to see if I could bring that private world to life that found its first expression through reading. I really dislike the romantic notion of the artist.

I enjoy doing romantic stories. I’ve done a lot of them.