I have had a career in which, almost without exception, every single person Ive worked with has helped me.

I had never heard anyone play like Benny Goodman and had never seen anyone like him on the stage. I realize now that what impressed me and stayed with me in memory was - the sounds he made. He played so purely. The music seemed to come from him, not just the instrument he played with such mastery.

I try to find humor in everything I do, because I think all great plays - even great tragedies - have enormous humor in them.

Own the room. Confidence has nothing to do with what you look like. If you obsess over that, you'll end up being disappointed in yourself all the time. Instead, high self-esteem comes from how you feel in any moment. So walk into a room acting like you're in charge, and spend your energy on making the people around you happy. Giving confidence to others will come back to you and you'll end up feeling better about yourself.

The kind of acting I love is when you watch and you discover what you think perhaps you weren't supposed to see: the chink in the armor.

An actress spends a lifetime observing people. You build up a mental library. No, not a library. Make that a repository.

If I had a religious belief, I would want it to be as strong as my belief in the theater.