When I hear that somebody’s difficult, I think, Oh, I can’t wait to work with them.

I knew the term Stepford Wife, and I knew what that meant. I never read the book, and I think before I started filming I watched the movie. I thought it was very dated.

Diva has a negative connotation.

It always amazes me to think that every house on every street is full of so many stories; so many triumphs and tragedies, and all we see are yards and driveways.

There’s something about a catharsis that is very important.

When they tested Fatal Attraction, the audiences were so upset by her behavior, they literally demanded her blood.

Ismail Merchant was just the most seductive, passionate, outrageous, driven, genius of a man.

I am extremely shy. I am not happy in crowds of people.

It puts you in a kind of a strange situation where everybody is looking at every little thing you do.

Acting, to me, is about the incredible adventure of examining the landscape of human heart and soul. That’s basically what we do.

There are a lot of big spec houses now all across Connecticut, a lot of ostentatious showing of wealth.

I had a dresser who literally squeezed me in like Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind.

The best thing I have is the knife from Fatal Attraction. I hung it in my kitchen. It’s my way of saying, Don’t mess with me.

I never got into this business thinking I’d be like a movie star.

When I hear that somebody’s difficult, I think, Oh, I can’t wait to work with them.

It is very difficult for girls. They’re told to look one way, but to act another way.

I’m an actor, that’s my contribution.

I’ve been sacrificing my life for my work for 30 years, and now I want it the other way around. I want to find work that fits into my life and that would be based here.

Good roles are hard to find no matter what age.

I don’t think the tabloids find me very interesting.

It’s not good to be in a situation where people don’t want to direct you or don’t want to question something.

I think the diva is kind of a cliche. My definition of a diva is somebody whose talent does not match what they’re trying to play, so all this temperament comes out.

I get bored talking about myself, but I can talk about the work.

As an actor, I go where the good writing is. That’s the bottom line.

With the hugely talented women I’ve worked with or observed, it’s not a question about temperament or ego; it’s a question about getting it right. If they’ve got a reputation for being difficult it’s usually because they just don’t suffer fools.

I think there are certain actors that have that kind of energy about them, that taking over a room energy.

You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.

I don’t like public venues. I never know what to wear.

It’s gotten out of control. It’s taking bigger and bigger names to make smaller and smaller films. I worry that important films without a big name attached won’t get made at all.

I had a great time on The Shield. From working on it I have a totally different view of law enforcement.

Bunny boiler is now part of our language, and I’m proud of that.

We have to be vulnerable as actors, but we have to protect ourselves.

We were fortunate enough to have several good books detailing the camps and the women. Some were by the survivors. I also got to talk to some of the women who had been in the camp, survivors.

Celebrity is death – celebrity – that’s the worst thing that can happen to an actor.