Brenda Fricker

“When women get married and have children they move away from their friends and they don't stay in touch with them as much, they put their family first. And me not having children and not having a husband, being completely on my own, all my friends are married and have kids so I'm very isolated.”

“I've lost a lot of faith in psychiatrists. None of them is going to advertise a cure that really works because they just want to make money out of you.”

“I was very balanced and was lucky to have good people around me who kept me balanced, if I needed it.”

“Acting is such hard work.”

“When you're as depressed as I was, you'll try anything.”

“There's very little I miss about acting since retiring.”

“I sometimes say things for a joke, and they are picked up the wrong way.”

“I live a very quiet life well under the radar and I drive a tiny car, own a cottage, that's about it. Talking to the wall quite a bit, talking to the dog, writing poetry, reading books, watching television.”

“The best directors leave you alone. If they've cast you in the part, hopefully they believe you have the gumption to interpret the part, that you can act, that you know where the camera is, and that you can hit your marks.”

“I had five pounds under a half a million saved and then I was told I had not one single brown penny in the bank.”

“It's very easy if people are telling you you're good at something to get carried away because you can always be better.”

“I enjoy the very small things in life and I toddle from day to day, and some days are great and some days are not so great.”

“Of all the films I've made, only three do I remember where I felt I'd moved forward as an actress: 'Cloudburst,' 'My Left Foot,' and 'The Field.'”

“Choosing to stay indoors is one thing, but being told to do so makes me want to go outside.”

“I think friendship, it's very strong and then it kind of gets abandoned in a way. Women are not as good at it as men.”

“There are days when I'm sitting at home and I find it just difficult to get out the door.”

“The iPad is great because you can enlarge the print on it.”

“I think I have bad genes that came from my mother.”

“I'm not that keen on life.”

“Life is very difficult . you just cry and you think you're no good and you've no hope. It passes.”