Rita Tushingham

“I don't know if I'm a gay icon or not, but with 'A Taste of Honey,' the audience were so touched by the whole story that it certainly helped matters. The characters were so sympathetic that it was as if you had met them.”

“I find New York very frightening, I must say.”

“A family is forever. A career might finish tomorrow.”

“No one in my family had ever been in the business.”

“It is important to have a base in life, and from that base you can enjoy it. To me the base is family.”

“I have never been drunk in my life, and I don't expect I ever will be.”

“People always say, 'Oh, you've played a lot of waifs... ' but they were just girls. It's just that a lot of those everyday characters had never been on the screen before. I do hope I didn't get typed. I feel myself that I tried to do different things with those women.”

“My family never allowed me to get too big for my boots.”

“I'm certainly no Cleopatra. I have legs like a schoolgirl and I don't know how I acquired the knack of attracting producers with very attractive offers for very attractive film roles.”

“One day, I read in the newspaper they were looking for an unknown for the film of 'A Taste of Honey.' They auditioned over 2,000 girls for the part of Jo - not as many as they did for 'Annie,' at any rate.”

“After 'Honey' I read the rave reviews and thought I had it made. But it was two-and-a-half years before I was on the screen again.”

“I grew up with two brothers with whom I played a rough game of football. If I could take that, I could take anything.”

“I hate parties. I hate having to do things.”

“Never forget how precious life is or your loved ones.”

“I dislike snobby people, routine housework and getting up early in the morning, and central heating.”

“When I read a script I either immediately identify with the character or I don't. If I find myself reading the part in my own voice I think 'This is a bit of a drag, isn't it?' and it's no good.”

“I hate publicity. The only publicity must be through my work. I can only talk about myself in relation to work. I know about work - but I don't know about me.”

“It's all luck in this business, and it's not a kind business at times.”

“I was paralyzed with nerves on 'Taste of Honey' and never quite knew what was going on.”

“I thought the 60s in London was normal, so when it stopped it was a shock.”