It's such a cold night and it's the only time I've actively been grateful for menopause. I've been entirely comfortable.

Children don't need much advice but they really do need to be listened to and not just with half an ear.

Without the ice, the earth will fall

I think we're creating a situation that's incredibly dangerous. There's a lot of chat at the moment about the war on terror and whilst there are many causes for acts of terrorism, what kind of society are you creating if you allow civil society in Africa to die and create millions upon millions of orphans? Where are they going to go? What kind of cults, what kind of militias, what's going to happen? The accession of violence in those countries, the possibility of that, to me is very terrifying.

During an election, it's like they're doing my job: they're going around banging the drum for their party and selling their movie. You know, it's the same thing.

When husbands and fathers leave, their wives and daughters tend to value themselves less as a result.

The best way [to survive] the red carpet is by wearing Ugg boots. But unfortunately, I have not yet managed to persuade the people who style me at these times to let me do that.