Rene Russo

“Strong and in control - I don't necessarily feel that way. I'm a little bit more scattered in my life. I'm more of a street girl, in a way.”

“By high school, I was already tall - 5-foot-8 - and one day I made the mistake of wearing green tights. The football players all started calling me the Jolly Green Giant.”

“I can say that when you model,when you get to a certain age, that's it for you. I remember there was a time where I was like, 'What am I going to do with my life?' I am a high school dropout who's only modeled. So there was desperation with that.”

“Every day, every birthday candle I blow out, every penny I throw over my shoulder in a wishing well, every time my daughter says, 'Let's make a wish on a star,' there's one thing I wish for: wisdom.”

“I don't know much about sports.”

“I think early in my career, I didn't choose films that were crappy films, necessarily, but I didn't go out and campaign for smaller, better roles.”

“I've got a drought-tolerant garden; I've got a company - crazy as it sounds, we make yogurt. There are actors who have to act no matter what, but I don't want to do it just for the sake of doing it.”

“I always thought I'm kind of a tough girl.”

“I didn't want to be an actress when I was younger - not even when I was older, to tell you the truth.”

“I think all writers are different. I've been with a few writers; they're all different.”

“I always try to find some part of a character that exists in me and plug that in.”

“He was an amazing - John McTiernan really was an incredible director, probably the best I've worked with because he constantly busted me when he wasn't getting what he wanted.”

“I work out five days a week for 20 minutes; I only do one body part a day.”

“I have an unusual face.”

“I loved 'Tin Cup' because even though that character had her own career and was strong, she was pretty confused. I think she was my favorite character because she was well-rounded. She didn't have it all together.”

“I think I was pigeonholed pretty early on. And I started late in my career. I was 33.”

“I had never seen a Marvel comic.”

“I don't love getting up at the crack of dawn and having makeup put on my face for three hours - like, I really don't like it - and then having a part that's just not that challenging.”

“I'm a California girl, and I'd love to restore a sense of place to Southern California.”

“If I had to design a career for myself, I would have done comedy.”