Americans have an interesting conundrum, a black and white line: You're on one side or the other of Puritanism or licentiousness. But that gray area where people abide, between their ears or on the Internet, needs to be fleshed out more in terms of permission granted. I think a lot of women are contained within the parentheses of shoulds and role-play. It's all about entitlement and history. It's all about upper-body strength - and exacting your will.

For me, I don't even like to promote my films but I have to because it's in the fine print of my contract.

When I was 12, all I wanted was to be good at school, and to do something admirable, something you can't take away from me because I'm not popular or beautiful enough.

When I was growing up in New York City, my father was a taxi driver for a time.

What happens between action and cut for me is a blur, I go almost into a whiteout, and then I see the film and I'm like, "Oh that's what I did? Cool!"

I feel like I'm the most forgiven actress I can think of, probably because of this short memory people have!

When I really young yet feeling very old, I offered up a lot of myself to the press; I knew it was good copy.