The unfortunate thing about working for yourself is that you have the worst boss in the world. I work every day of the year except at Christmas when I work a half day.

The security comes as an actor in knowing that you're not in control. If you try to control your career or how people perceive you you'll make yourself unhappy because life doesn't work like that. So much is luck. It's much better to let yourself off to think 'There's nothing I can do.'

Actresses can get outrageously precious about the way they look. That's not what life's about. If you starve yourself to the point where your brain cells shrivel you will never do good work. And if you're overly conscious of your arms flapping in the wind how can you look the other actor in the eye to respond to them?

Beset by a difficult problem? Now is your chance to shine. Pick yourself up get to work and get triumphantly through it.

You can't get there by bus only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.

There are moments when you feel that the desire to work is fading and the only way to bring it back is to get away from it to put yourself in a state of frustration so you feel the need again.

A doctor must work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week. If you cannot console yourself to this get out of the profession.

The difference between people who believe they have books inside of them and those who actually write books is sheer cussed persistence - the ability to make yourself work at your craft every day - the belief even in the face of obstacles that you've got something worth saying.

We learned about dignity and decency - that how hard you work matters more than how much you make... that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.

I think when you begin to think of yourself as having achieved something then there's nothing left for you to work towards. I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it.