Jennifer Jason Leigh

I loved acting as a kid because I was kind of shy, so it brought me out of myself.

I'd much rather be in a movie that people have really strong feelings about than one that makes a hundred million dollars but you can't remember because it's just like all the others.

It's very exciting to work with people who inspire you.

I just don't want to talk about my personal life. I feel like it's mine, I'm not trying to promote it. It's nice to have things that are your own, that you value enough that you don't have to use to sell a movie.

Writing, producing and directing, I must say, is incredibly satisfying and gratifying.

I'd love to have children, and I think marriage is great, I really do.

I don't want to play the same person twice, that's not why I wanted to act.

I used to hang out by the food table at parties because you don't have to talk to anybody. If you do then you can talk about the food.

I'm a typical middle child. I'm the mediator. The one that makes everything OK, puts their own needs aside to make sure everybody's happy. It's hard to change your nature, even with years and years of therapy.

I love Polaroids and I have a Polaroid camera collection from the '50s.

I could never play the ingenue, the girl next door or the very successful young doctor. That would be a bore.

I don't really watch my moves all that often; I mean, really, I don't.

I like to investigate all different kinds of people, I guess, and find out what makes them who they are, and try to be honest in the portrayal, and truthful, and find out how to understand that person, how to communicate that person's experience.

I like a movie that the audience actively has to participate in, and not just casually observe. Whatever my part in it, just as an audience member, I find that exciting.

I like a movie that the audience actively has to participate in and not just casually observe.

You know, you really do choose your existence in a way.

When I find a role I want to play, I just go after it.

I hate parties. I don't like big crowded things.

I love being in therapy. It's just constantly fulfilling for me.

I just don't plan things. I live a month at a time.

One of the reasons that I do a lot of different kinds of pictures is because I learn a lot when I'm doing them.

Being a good girl means suppressing a lot.

Acting for kids is like playing house, you know? But growing up in Hollywood, it just made it seem possible.

Writing, producing and directing, I must say, is incredibly satisfying and gratifying. I've never been happier.

People can have so many ill-conceived ideas about me based on the parts that I play. I've had guys, when I've been single, come out of the woodwork to date me and I've found out very quickly that they were expecting some kind of whirlwind, some dramatic crazy person - and that's just not me.

People equate success with youth. And if you haven't had a certain amount of success by a certain time in your life, it's never going to happen. There's a fear about that. So people start lying about their age really young. I've never done that because I think it's so insignificant.