I find it safer to pursue the powerful, the ugly, the unpleasant..

For a long time I did not want to do television because I did not want to get stuck playing the same person. I wanted the ongoing challenge of a vari….

I haven't talked much about being an ovarian cancer survivor because I don't really want to define myself that way..

I want to see women onscreen the way I see them in society..

A lot of guys come up talking about The Waterboy. I get a lot of that. Misery, Delores Claiborne and The Waterboy, those are the main ones I get..

The problem I have these days is that women are often cast in a role - as a police officer, for example - and then are invariably perceived by the ot….

After winning the Oscar, I was committed to do 'Fried Green Tomatoes,' but I didn't know what the next thing would be after that. It was a scary time….

It was also wonderful to have the prospect of playing with Jack Nicholson. It was a terrific part, a terrific script, with Alexander Payne and Jack N….

Alexander Payne's very specific. His scripts are always complete when you start working on them..

I've always tried to be honest, and it would be too difficult for me to develop some kind of persona. I don't have enough time or energy for that..

I was a Stephen King fan and I was amazed that I got the chance to play that role and very glad that I did..

Every time an Oscar is given out, an agent gets his wings..

I find that I'm fighting to keep my energy and my passion centered on the work and not on "Will this get me an Oscar?" - which is the way people are ….

I look for a role that hopefully I feel empathy with and that I can understand and love, but also that has that challenge for me to play - a differen….

I want to be defined by my own essence..

You hope that the same people are coming back. I love playing with Angela [Bassett]. She's fierce. I met her years and years ago when she was a stude….

I heard I'm going to have scenes with Lady Gaga so I'm hoping it's true. I know of one scene I have..

I didn't go out on one date in high school. I played guitar and sang and wrote my own music and poetry and stuff when I was a teenager..

I went from years of honing my craft to sudden recognition. It was quite a life changer..

I can sit here on the couch and hear you say, "You're very feminine and very attractive," but I have always struggled with that..

I'm very lucky to be able to do what I love to do, and I hope I can keep doing it for a while..