Katharine Hepburn

I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be the inferior sex.

Only the really plain people know about love – the very fascinating ones try so hard to create an impression that they soon exhaust their talents.

If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.

Why slap them on the wrist with feather when you can belt them over the head with a sledgehammer.

Without discipline, there’s no life at all.

Acting is the perfect idiot’s profession.

Death will be a great relief. No more interviews.

Dressing up is a bore. At a certain age, you decorate yourself to attract the opposite sex, and at a certain age, I did that. But I’m past that age.

My greatest strength is common sense. I’m really a standard brand – like Campbell’s tomato soup or Baker’s chocolate.

Acting is a nice childish profession – pretending you’re someone else and, at the same time, selling yourself.

When I started out, I didn’t have any desire to be an actress or to learn how to act. I just wanted to be famous.

Being a housewife and a mother is the biggest job in the world, but if it doesn’t interest you, don’t do it – I would have made a terrible mother.

Plain women know more about men than beautiful women do.

It would be a terrific innovation if you could get your mind to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack.

It’s a business you go into because your an egocentric. It’s a very embarrassing profession.

To be loved is very demoralizing.

As for me, prizes are nothing. My prize is my work.

If you want to give up the admiration of thousands of men for the distain of one, go ahead, get married.

Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around.

Acting is the most minor of gifts. After all, Shirley Temple could do it when she was four.

I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.

Life is hard. After all, it kills you.

Enemies are so stimulating.

If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.

We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers – but never blame yourself. It’s never your fault. But it’s always your fault, because if you wanted to change you’re the one who has got to change.

To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time.

If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married.

Never complain. Never explain.

It’s a rather rude gesture, but at least it’s clear what you mean.

I have many regrets, and I’m sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret… if you have any sense, and if you don’t regret them, maybe you’re stupid.

Marriage is a series of desperate arguments people feel passionately about.

Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.

The average Hollywood film star’s ambition is to be admired by an American, courted by an Italian, married to an Englishman and have a French boyfriend.

It’s life isn’t it? You plow ahead and make a hit. And you plow on and someone passes you. Then someone passes them. Time levels.

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get – only with what you are expecting to give – which is everything.

Trying to be fascinating is an asinine position to be in.

I think most of the people involved in any art always secretly wonder whether they are really there because they’re good or there because they’re lucky.