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

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….

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

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….

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….

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

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….

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..

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

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

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….

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

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

I want to be defined by my own essence..

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