I've overcome physical and mental brutality - and fought back.

I've overcome neglect and deprivation, abandonment and abuse.

I never dreamed that shooting a film would be so hard. There was less regulation then of child actors' hours. Even the concept of acting confused me.

I was punished for blowing the whistle on my father's lifestyle.

The more love I craved, the more distant and abusive he grew. The role I longed to play was never written into Ryan's script: daughter.

I've purged myself of bitterness and anger and remained open to love.

When someone was hitting me, or like sexually molesting me, it just seemed normal to continue to do that to myself.

Things with my dad were pretty good until I won an Academy Award. He was really loving to me until I got more attention than he did. Then he hated me.

I've triumphed over addiction.

Griffin, my brother, 11 months younger, was sometimes the victim of my father's fury - once Ryan famously knocked out his teeth.

Things get so sloppy when you're under the influence.

I don't think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite a while!” ― Bill Murray character in Cadyshack

True authors don't write for fame or to make a name or money, they write to make impact

George Carlin is brilliant with words, and Johnny Winters is very creative. It's taking something common and drawing out the humor, being clever with words.

That strong mother doesn't tell her cub, Son, stay weak so the wolves can get you. She says, Toughen up, this is reality we are living in.

You can't drive into the future if you are looking into a rear vision mirror.

We were watching bands like the Ramones and Blondie and other bands beginning to ignite.

TV—a clever contraction, derived from the words Terrible Vaudeville. We call it a medium, because nothing's well done.

Communication always has a purpose. Before speaking, the first law is: you must know why you are talking. You must know what you are communicating for. What do you want?

My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talking.

It's very important to know that we packed it right because it is a safety issue for coming home.