As a kid, I never thought I'd be an actress. Never, ever, ever, no way. I was really shy - bordering on social disorder shy - and I was really academic.

Work hard to achieve integrity in your work and your relationships with the people you work with.

I've got a swimming pool and I pretend to be like a mermaid, like in the middle of the night. It kind of de-stresses me.

There are so many glamorous actresses, but you know what? In the real world, nobody looks like that.

Been sitting at home all weekend writing for MTV Movie Awards - unfortunately MTV won't let me do my strip routine ala Magic Mike.

Even when I'm playing someone named 'Fat Amy.' I'm all about confidence and attitude.

For a comedienne, you have to have a little tragedy or a dark side, just not too much. Otherwise it's too disruptive.

I stay fat because it just wouldn't be fair to all the thin people if I were this good-looking, intelligent, funny, and thin. It's a public service really.

I never thought I would end up being an actress. I thought I really was going to do serious stuff like law or politics.

At school, nobody thought I was smart and I became smart. Nobody wanted to be my friend and then I had lots of friends.

When I was younger I did karate and martial arts, and I think it's really cool for girls to have those kinds of abilities.

Always be you! Just never think you can always be you without consequence.

And what does anyone know about traitors, or why Judas did what he did?

I'm not speaking metaphorically, plants that you have in your house, or if you've ever made friends with a tree somewhere, there is a moment that these beings can aid you.

You have to remain flexible, and you must be your own critic at all times.

If the soil were as good as the harbours, it would be a blessing.

To win once you must have talent, but to win again you must have character.

Success comes from what you do, not from what you say you are going to do.

A country's assets reside in the tinkerers, the hobbyists, and the risk-takers.

I use a lot of double-tonguing [using the tongue to control airflow]; that allows me to play as fast as if I was slurring, but with clean articulation on every note.

Literature is always what the dominant ideology recognizes as literature.