The relationship to the director is becoming more crucial to me, making sure there are some common goals. I haven't been in the kind of position where my roles have been chosen for me, where someone says, "First we'll do this and then we'll do this," and it's all part of some master plan.

The problem I have these days is that women are often cast in a role - as a police officer, for example - and then are invariably perceived by the other characters as succeeding in a man's job, as if they're doing it in spite of being women.

A heart can only discover what it really wants with experience.

I want to see women onscreen the way I see them in society.

I read Stephen King a lot and I've actually played two roles. Delores Claiborne is my favorite, I think, of any film that I've done.

You hope that the same people are coming back. I love playing with Angela [Bassett]. She's fierce. I met her years and years ago when she was a student at Yale, so to see her do these fierce roles and go on to [be] this powerhouse has just been awesome.

I can sit here on the couch and hear you say, "You're very feminine and very attractive," but I have always struggled with that.