You have to remember that Hollywood is in the business of making movies that they can sell tickets to, they're not in the business of finding great roles for actors.

I don't really care if people like a character ornot; I think in life we don't always like everybody. But you haveto be able to understand them.

I was lucky enough to come in at the beginning of the independent film movement, and it's really shaped my life and my career.

I hope this brings someone else the courage they need to face whatever challenge is before them.

Ever since there's been a Hollywood, they remake a movie every 20 years.

If you are at odds with the director, neither one of you is going to get anywhere. You really do have to be able to make both of you happy.

Older, you know, is obviously relative. You're older if there's somebody younger than you in the room, and you're younger if there's someone older in the room.

We shouldn't require our politicians to be movie stars. Then again, we're all influenced by charisma. It's hard not to be. We all collectively fall for it.

Comedy is ridiculously hard. And if the rhythm is not right, if the music or the line is not right, it's not funny.

At one point, 'feminist' became a pejorative term. How did that happen? If you're a feminist, you're basically saying you're a humanist.

I was the kid who read a lot and who was academic, and who was more of an indoor person than an outdoor person. I would win the summer reading contest at the library.

I'm not supposed to communicate something that's completely unrealistic.

When you become a parent, you finally appreciate and understand what your mother did.

I've heard it said that winning an Oscar means you live five years longer. If that's true I want to thank the academy because my husband is younger than me.