I don't know if I was a star. I was certainly working a lot and that was strange because there were good things about it and things that were difficult.

Everything changes as a mother. Yes, work has changed. The projects that I choose are even more important to me now. The world he's growing up in and the kind of stimulus that is out there; they are so precious and I'd do anything to protect him.

I try to do a lot of research beforehand so I know where I want to go with a scene. I try not to get too stressed about it, because I find that's the worst thing.

I had a good time working with Russell Crowe, Ron Howard and Ed Harris. It was a great cast and Russell worked really hard, doing tons of research and questioning everything.

I can't comment on any outside perception. I'm happy to come out and talk about movies that I've worked on in a setting like this. Otherwise, I have my own life that I live which is very different and private.

That's a great feeling to know that I'm going into a project that I have no idea what will become of that movie, but I really trust Ang Lee. And I really trusted Ron. It's just really nice to work with people that you feel that way about.

Dark Water was one of my favourite films to shoot because of Walter. I had seen the previous films he had directed, Central Station and Motorcycle Diaries, and I thought they were great. I really trusted him.

I don't always like my own behavior. I haven't known anyone who is perfect all the time.

When it's good it's great, it's really great.

You can't predict what someone else is going to do and when someone else is going to leave.

I try to stay focused on my life and do try not to be brought into the Hollywood fantasy.

I've chosen not to live in Hollywood, and instead I live in Brooklyn, New York. It's how I like to live. I'd rather hang out with my kids and family when I'm not working. Going to premieres is not my idea of a fun night out.

If you get too attached to how you want it to come out the other side, you freeze. I try to trust that it will work out in the end.

I didn't expect to win the Oscar. You grow up watching the Oscars on TV and you think it happens to fancy people. It was really surreal.

Growing up, being watched from the outside... it's kind of very taxing and maybe I should just do some kind of manual labor-it might be more relaxing. But I can't, it's not in my nature.

I felt for a long time that this is what I want to do so I'm happy at this point to just take my time and work on projects that I feel strongly about, and the rest of the time just live my life.

I do finish reading a script and say, Why are they making it and what are they talking about? I like to try and be responsible in my choices in that way.

I don't know if I was a star. I was certainly working a lot and that was strange because there were good things about it and things that were difficult.

It's funny looking at yourself. You know how it is when you look back at old pictures? It's just funny looking back at yourself walking and talking at age 14.

I'm so happy in the projects that I'm able to make, to be involved in projects like this. This isn't always where it was at for me, I started working when I was a kid. I'm just a different person now, I'm 30. I started working when I was 11 and it's a different ballgame.

We live in downtown Manhattan and we have pretty big windows that looked right at the World Trade Center. I was home along with Kai and we watched it all happen. I was holding him in my arms and we were looking out the window when the second plane hit.

People who are incapable of having any kind of intimate relationship have to turn to feeling this incredible hunger and void, have to turn to some quantifiable external product to make them feel whole.

It was, when I read it, I thought, such a beautiful script. I loved the story. I thought it was well handled. I thought it was even more moving because it was a true story and that made it even more poignant.

In this business actors who have Botox or surgery make you very aware of age. It's awful.

I try to create some stupid entertainment for really smart people that they don't feel too stupid watching. In 'Xanadu,' the biggest laugh was a reference to Achilles.

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you're not going to stay where you are.

The key to success in every field is to hate failure in every way.

We don't have a major problem right now in our country, and life is normal. Things like unemployment, which the youth are suffering from, and the rate of inflation - these are chronic conditions and we have to solve them.

I find standing and posing for photos very awkward.

I have never been a professional model; I have had some modeling sessions.

I prefer, in a word, the republican system, because it comes up more nearly to God's system.

Entrepreneurs go through real problems and come up with real solutions. It's not fake. You can do all the right things and still lose. You can do all the wrong things and still will.

God in his perfect wisdom gave you power to control only one thing in the entire universe, and that is you.

There is only one thing I respect in so-called Broadway actors... and that is their competitive sense.

Everyone's projecting onto you, or you feel like everyone is judging you. I feel like I'm being judged a lot of the time. You become really self-conscious.

I can score 20 points if I want to, but that's not my desire.

Emotional stability has not been America's gift to the world.

Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, support for international terrorist organizations, and abhorrent human rights practices pose one of the greatest threats to global security.

When I was 13, Eddie Murphy was to me what Chris Tucker was to 13-year-olds when I made 'Rush Hour.' And 'Rush Hour' really came out of the fact that I grew up watching 'Beverly Hills Cop' and '48 Hrs.'

I think making art is something where you think you know, you also know you don't know and you hope - all these things are in play all the time. I think it's what makes the excitement of creativity for the artist.

Once you are a model, you do have to fly a million red-eye flights, and you do have to entertain a different client every single day.

I've always been sort of drawn to storytelling, and I was always very playful growing up.

You can wish as hard as you like but all that really matters is the shape you're in on the day of the race. I've always felt these really big races aren't necessarily won by whoever is the fastest. They're won by the athlete who is the smartest and in the best shape on the day.

I love the novels of Didion and Bret Ellis and consider them L.A. writers because they write about L.A.

There's a degree of deception in silence.

I love to be the center of attention. My oversized ego craves it and needs it.

Healing is awakening to the perfection that already is ours.