I came from a real working-class show business family.

I never really address myself to any image anybody has of me. That’s like fighting with ghosts.

I think the first thing I did was several scenes from Romeo and Juliet.

I think that’s very sad, that I haven’t allowed my heart to be broken. I have broken a few.

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

I was just lucky enough to grow up in a time when they actually had drama departments in schools.

If I hadn’t fought back, I might have been Gidget forever.

When you’re old, you are more certain of who you are, and that may be a good thing or a bad thing.

But there isn’t any second half of myself waiting to plug in and make me whole. It’s there. I’m already whole.

My last son is leaving to go to college; my grandchildren are being born. My mother is living with me.

My agent said, ‘You aren’t good enough for movies.’ I said, ‘You’re fired.’

I came from a real working-class show business family.

Change is never easy.

I joined the Actors Studio and began to work with Lee Strasberg, and that changed my work.

I have never been beautiful in cliche terms.

I was raised to sense what someone wanted me to be and be that kind of person. It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else’s eyes.

I really have no ulterior motive in taking on certain roles. I have no larger issue that I really want to show people. I’m an actor, that’s all. I just do what I do.

But I was losing so much bone density that I would have been in grave danger. And I mean grave danger. If I had let it go just a few more years I could have broken my hip or spine just picking up my granddaughter.

You lose your habitual behavior, which allowed you to sort of zone out. You have to be here, you have to be now, you have to be present.

There are parts of me that I feel are beautiful, but they don’t have anything to do with my nose.

I’m so vigorous, and I so take it for granted, because I’ve always been a real physical person.

I haven’t had an orthodox career, and I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it, and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!

I can’t deny the fact that you like me! You like me!

Last year I was diagnosed with osteoporosis.

There was really a snobbery from people in film – they did not want people who had come from television. It was the poor relation of show business, and especially situation comedy.

I’ve never had my heart broken.

I would take plays and I would cut out all the other dialogue and make long monologues because I felt the other kids weren’t taking it as seriously as I did.