Every experience that you experience yourself you use, because that's our craft.

I've always loved painting, although I never show anyone what I've done. Mainly because I don't do it well. But it's like a form of visual diary for me. A way of fixing things in my mind.

The more I do, the more frightened I get. But that is essential. Otherwise why would I go on doing it?

It is true that there are few plays of Shakespeare that I haven't done.

I once said to someone when I was playing Lady Macbeth and they said: "That's tricky, emotionally, what do you do about murdering your husband's cousin?" And there are, of course, things that aren't in your personal repertoire that you have to somehow understand by reading or watching other things and listening to other people talk about them.

I think you've got to have your feet planted firmly on the ground, especially in this business, and you must not believe things that are said or written about you, because everything gets out of proportion one way or the other.

It takes courage to recognize the real as opposed to the convenient.