When I started out in independent films in the early 70s, we did everything for the love of art. It wasn't about money and stardom. That was what we were reacting against. You'd die before you'd be bought.

I didn't worry about leaving the fast lane - I was just so consumed with my baby that it seemed like the right thing to do. I never felt like I left New York, though. If you've lived in a place and loved it, you never feel like you left it.

A great screenplay is the most powerful bait in Hollywood.

I listened to that voice inside me-... Everyone has an inner voice; you just have to listen to it and trust it in order to be led by it. I did that, and it gave me the ability to live a life that's true to who I am and what I really wanted.

The name Sissy came because my brothers called me that.

You relate to a character and you find that character within yourself. It's all parts of me. I don't leave characters behind. I just let them go.

You know, your career is just your career; your life is your life!