My parents are from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and I feel like it's an old Southern thing where people say that, as a kid, you can be an astronaut or a ballerina or a singer, but as a grown person, you need to go and get a job.
People who I've worked with are always like, 'Why aren't you doing comedy? You're funny!' because they've only seen the one side. I did do the comedy 'Whatever Works,' with Woody Allen and Larry David.
I would love to do more movies, but the reality is women have many more opportunities on television to play a greater variety of characters.
I think I've been lucky enough not to have to do movie after movie after movie for financial reasons, so I've been able to live life and also make movies. I didn't have to grind them out. I could go long periods where I was living life rather than tripping over cables.
You're already a financial trader. You might not think of it in just this way, but if you work for a living, you're trading your time for money. Frankly, it's just about the worst trade you can make. Why? You can always get more money, but you can't get more time.
If you are known to do something well, people want to see you do that. But what you choose to do is up to you. After 'Delhi Belly,' I got some 40 scripts - some on the same lines as 'Delhi Belly.' So, I guess people only get stereotyped if they want to.
I've never been interested in a career in modelling, I was interested in my independence. When I was in school, modelling was what I needed to reach independence without having to leave.
I think there are too many smart people pursuing internet stuff, finance, and law. That is part of the reason why we haven't seen as much innovation.
Acting wasn't even in my world at all. My oldest sister worked at 'Glamour' magazine and said I should model, but I had no interest.
Fame changed my life completely because, for a while, I was in a position to choose what I did. I miss that aspect. But I always felt uncomfortable with it.
At 18, I wanted to work with the creme de la creme because I thought that was the only way to be successful. But I don't think any A-lister has done as many B-grade films as I have.
I'm not so in a rush to direct just anything because I'm lucky that I can make a living so far as an actor and not have to worry about that as a director. And so I can be a little more choosy in things I direct.
One of the things I'm most proud of about my career is the fact I've managed to keep options open.
I really wanted to go to a city and get involved in a theater scene and a theater community. I had some friends who had moved out to Chicago and had said really good things about it and about the work. I didn't care at that time about making money.
If I get a good character, a suitable role, a good producer-director, only then will I do a film.
I think the kind of films and roles I do takes a whole year... I think it is justified. At some point, we have to come to that place where we are equally paid. It is a small step... we are headed to that direction.
Acting has always been very boring to me. Anyone not in television to become a millionaire is a simpleton.
Careers are what they are, they don't make any sense at all when you look back. We're not in charge of them.
When I was a young girl, I used to dream about what I would be when I grew up. I thought that I wanted to be a nurse, then a teacher, even a pilot at one point.
I do not know if it is true that all actors want to direct and all directors want to act, but in 1972 I tried directing and decided I had better stick to acting.
I tell all the young guys, don't make choices because somebody else is telling you it's good from a career-maintenance perspective.
The reason I am unemployed for six months out of every year is because I have to turn down most of the films I'm offered. If I didn't, I'd only ever play a dark, satanic count on a horse.
If I wasn't an actor, I think I would be a pastor.
Honestly, 'Parenthood' was not what I planned. I didn't plan to do another drama. I didn't plan to play a single mom. I didn't plan, even, to do an ensemble show. But I hadn't found anything I liked as much. I just connected to the show.
You have a choice: pursue your dreams, or be hired by someone else to help them fulfill their dreams.
