I haven't had an orthodox career.

It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes.

I've never had my heart broken.

There are not a lot of places for an actor to explore what it's like to be a woman in her 60s. There aren't any films about it and there very few TV series about it.

I MUST go to what desperately frightens me - the chance of failure.

To watch how lovingly your children parent their own children is to know profound achievement.

What does the Academy Award mean? I don’t think it means much of anything.

Had there not been a Mary Todd, there would not have been an Abraham Lincoln. She found him when he was a young lawyer and really a bumpkin. No one knew of him, but she recognized his brilliance.

My agent said, "You aren't good enough for movies." I said, "You're fired."

You just do the best you can with what you've got... and sometimes magic strikes.

Last year I was diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Some things are too good. They make everything else worthless.

Inez and I had been in the same book club for a while. She once told me that literary theory was reading without imagination, and I’ve loved her ever since.

I think what's going on with gorillas is pretty bad. The fact is that you can buy gorilla meat in London any day you want it.

Everybody needs time to reflect and contemplate, and the most inspirational and peaceful place to do so is in nature.

Knowledge without action is wastefulness and action without knowledge is foolishness.

The act of love . . . is a confession. Selfishness screams aloud, vanity shows off, or else true generosity reveals itself.

I like my women like I like my coffee . . . I don’t like coffee.

My family has served the country in almost every major war since the Civil War.

...every successful quality revolution has included the participation of upper management. We know of no exceptions.

Do we want to feel better or do we want to be effective? Are we sentimentalists or are we warriors?