Anne-Marie Duff: Twitter's banned in my house

Suffragette star Anne-Marie Duff likes escaping from the world too much to use Twitter, but has vowed to learn about the site.

The 44-year-old actress is married to James McAvoy and they are famously guarded about their life together, which is known to be pretty low-key. This means they don't use the social networking website, although all that is bound to change when their son Brendan, born in 2010, gets older.

"It's not something we do in our house," she told Britain's Hello! magazine. "I know I have a child and they live in a world in which all of these things will be vitally important, so I kind of need to start engaging with that stuff, but I like escaping from the world when I need to. I don't think anyone would follow me anyway."

James and Anne-Marie have worked hard to ensure they haven't been seduced by fame, with the actor driving a modest car rather than a sports version. They also don't frequent showbiz events, and Anne-Marie is determined to keep things that way.

"I also think that part of being a well human being is to make sure that you've got your garden fence [around you] and that it's not for anyone's consumption but your own peeps," she said.

For the actress, her family will also come first. Becoming a mother had a huge impact on her, not least because now she only takes projects which mean a lot to her. Starring in Suffragette, about women fighting for the right to vote, was a huge wrench because it meant being away from her loved ones for months.

"I've had a child, I've gotten married, and all of those things have to have an effect on you," she said. "I think as you grow, so do all of your muscles in terms of forgiveness, empathy and patience. They make you better at your job and playing characters and appreciating your work."