When the time came to make a decision about what do in life, I found myself thinking that acting was the thing I loved to do, so I applied to drama school. And then, I didn't get in - twice.

Drama school, you know, I own an acting school, Actor Prepares.

I'm a bit of a fraud, really, as I didn't study acting at a drama school.

Politics is terrifying, very masculine, and not particularly encouraging to young blonde women - as a career, that is - and it was only when I was working in parliament that I thought to myself, 'Well, this is a tough industry; can an acting career be any more intimidating?' and I applied to drama school.

I went to drama school at NYU for serious acting. So I was doing Chekov and Sam Shepard plays.

Drama school is fundamentally practical. I didn't write any essays, so I came out with a BA honors degree in acting.