Laura Linney

“A lot of what is publicized now is really pretty trivial stuff - you know, what I eat for breakfast, where I have my pedicures, questions that I just cannot for the life of me understand why someone would want to know that.”

“I can scarcely stand to have a manicure. I have to have them because you don't want to look like a disgusting human being - it's self-care and it has to happen, but I get very restless.”

“The entertainment industry is terrified of silence.”

“I am very lucky, because for the most part people are very nice to me, and I am still able to go about my life and ride the subway and all that.”

“Comedy is a way to make sense of chaos. It's a way of dealing with things that are overwhelming, that threaten you; it's a way to survive and get closer to the truth.”

“I certainly didn't have a nanny.”

“My experience is that's rare - that you have a script that is... what they call 'film-ready.'”

“You can watch someone on-stage cry and cry - but in the audience you feel nothing. It's easy to become indulgent. For me, what's important is the story first.”

“Just because you're not famous, doesn't mean you're not good.”

“History's a resource.”

“I find the whole disdain for ageing crazy.”

“I'm not someone who likes to have my picture taken, let alone see it plastered all over the place.”

“I'm very hard on my bags because I tend to carry a lot of stuff with me.”

“The goal seems to me at times just to be business first.”

“The good thing is that I'm always honest.”

“Fame didn't happen to me in my 20s, it has been a gradual thing which probably makes it easier to deal with.”

“A magnetic personality doesn't necessarily indicate a good heart.”

“I'm profoundly lucky. I really like it. I really like my work. I've liked it since I was 5 years old.”

“I don't consider myself a celebrity and I don't consider myself a star.”

“I had learning disabilities, and I couldn't express myself in the written word.”