There's so much I want to do as an actor. I feel like there's so much more that I want to achieve and that I can achieve.

When I stopped wanting my New Year's Eve to be perfect, to bring in the New Year right, is when it started working out right. When I was young, I was always looking for the best party to be at, to ring in the New Year, and I always ended up in the car going, "Happy New Year."

My male counterpart will get paid ten times more than me - 10 times. Not double, but 10 times for the same job. We only have this much left for the female actress. I mean, there’s two genders on this Earth. Both are compelling, interesting, diverse, wonderful in all their own separate ways. And yet there’s an influx of male roles and there's just not for women.

The truth is, after Boys Don't Cry, I realized how few and far between the great roles are. I am beyond thankful for finding Million Dollar Baby.

I'm a risk-taker. It's where my passion lies, so I don't want to play it safe. That means I'm going to fail sometimes.

I believe that the definition of luck is when preparation meets with opportunity.

I had to fight my whole life to break out of my circumstances. That's just part of my makeup.