Hoskins: 'Being a stalker helped me act'

Bob Hoskins has revealed that he became a "stalker" to help him act.

The 67-year-old, who has starred in movies such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook, said that he learned his profession by watching women and trying to copy their expressions.

Yahoo quotes him as saying: "I started my career by becoming a stalker, watching women in the street, the way they greet each other. I thought if I could capture come of that expression, that depth of emotion, it will make me interesting to watch as an actor."

He continued: "I fit into this business like a sore foot into a soft shoe. But when I started I thought, 'Christ, I ought to learn to act now I'm doing this for a living'. I was a completely untrained, ill-educated idiot."

Hoskins added: "Can I express emotion in private? No, I'm terrible. I can only do it on screen. I can turn the tears on professionally."