Equal partners aren't always what we envision as being manifestly equal. Equality can come in many different shapes and sizes and combinations.

If I were to play somebody who ran a fish and chip shop, I would not work in a fish and chip shop for three months. Staring at chips is not going to help me in my performance.

I think the cinema you like has more to do with silence, and the theater you like has more to do with language.

One of the greatest things drama can do, at it's best, is to redefine the words we use every day such as love, home, family, loyalty and envy. Tragedy need not be a downer.

Family is family over the internet, over Skype, over the telephone. Love is love. You don't have to actually go through some ritual to prove that you love somebody.

Fifteen years before I became a screen actor, I was in the theatre. A lot of my work was comedy, which I loved doing. It's harder.

With narration, you have to be very accurate with your voice. It's a good exercise to do.

I do remember, as a child, that I always imagined, when I was maybe 6 or 7, my fantasy was that everywhere I went I was being followed by an invisible film crew.

They're a very strange lot actors, very strange people.

You cannot learn a lesson of profound forgiveness unless you understand what it is to be wounded and forgive that which has wounded you.

In cinema, the leading player is the director.

Excellence has a loud mouth

Craig Nelson who is an actor and is in a show called Coach in the United States. We began to do some improvisational stuff and we used to get laughs and things.

I still stay in touch with Elinor Donahue. I've known Elinor since she was 14-years-old.

It is useless either to hate or to love truth - but it should be noticed.

Mr. President [Barack Obama], it was a great honor being with you and I look forward to being with you many, many more times in the future. Thank you, sir.

You should be allowed to be a modern city dweller and still care about the environment.

There's a whole split personality thing of being a farm girl and a rock and roll girl.

I'm so insane, I voted for Eisenhower. Oh yeah, well I'm so insane, I voted for Eisenhower TWICE!

Maturity is doing what you think is best, even when your mother thinks it's a good idea.

When mind and action are separate, zen is lost. We keep the two in sync by paying attention.