This basic thing I always do: 'What happened between the character's birth, and page one of the script?' Anything that's not in the story, I'll fill in the blanks.

Nobody really knows anybody completely, even if they've been married to 'em for 53 years, you know?

In terms of the movie business, being in a 'Lord of the Rings' has given me more interesting options as work.

I love rehearsing, but a lot of directors don't, and some actors don't.

With few exceptions, one ought always do what one is afraid of.

More often than not, the experience of shooting the movie has been disappointing and the end product has been a mere shadow of what I hoped it would be. But immersing myself in the story - that's what I like best of all.

One of the most effective tools that the Cheney-Bush junta has used to marginalize dissenting or even mildly inquisitive American citizens has been the accusation of being unpatriotic.