Shakespeare's taught me that there are more words in the English language than I have got in my head.

Shakespeare showed me that once I understand the rules, I can break them.

My mother was adorable, a great giggler. My father was very strong and could be quite frightening.

I don't want to be a director, or to have responsibility for hundreds of people.

I dont have the confidence to be a personality.

I have lots of passions - gardens, art, music and reading. I have eclectic taste and read a huge variety of books.

I don't know any woman who is happy with her looks. I certainly wouldn't want to be friends with anyone who was.

And children? 'I don't have any regrets about not having had children. What's the point? It's just something else to beat yourself up over.

I'm constantly intimidated by Shakespeare's work. Trying to decipher what he's saying and holding on to that thought - not just as an actor, but as a human being - is a rigour.

I absolutely hate clothes shopping, though I love clothes. It's my idea of heaven to be handed things to wear.

As You Like It' was the first Shakespeare production I ever did.

Would you ask a man who bags groceries if he fears death not because it is death but because there are still some interesting groceries he would like to bag?

Our meetings are held to discuss many problems which would never arise if we held fewer meetings.

I want people to surprise themselves. Instead of saying "Oh, god, didn't we already do this 17 times?"

The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history.

The joy about the recording is that you are your own boss. You don't have a director telling you how to do it.

I don't want to crawl over the entrails of past disputes.

I was trying to see if I could produce an episode - completely write it and research it and record it and edit it - all by myself in a week.

I think Andrew Stanton is such an amazing, creative mind.

Every change is a form of liberation. My mother used to say a change is always good even if it's for the worse.

All philosophies, if you ride them home, are nonsense, but some are greater nonsense than others.