Claire Danes

It just seems like the most successful, iconic love stories are not so easy or escapist. I think the ones that stay with us and resonate are full of conflict, discord and misunderstandings 'cause that's what makes drama happen or tension even if it's a comedy. ”

Oliver Stone's strategy is to unnerve the actors so as to make them alert and alive. ”

Some of my happiest moments have been dancing. ”

Every time I make a movie, I'm prepared for it to become influential and career-defining - but I have no control over these things. ”

However, I'm at a very comfortable place in my career and celebrity, in that I don't have to audition as extensively as I used to for roles but yet I'm not immediately recognizable. ”

So much of my job is about finding another job, and that's really boring. ”

Acting is a humiliating job, from start to finish. ”

My goal is always to do something that feels just beyond my reach, and 'Homeland' continues to do that. Every season, they find new ways to scare me. The show is like a diamond that fell from the sky. I'll always feel slightly bludgeoned by it, but in the best way possible. ”

I'm very vain about my performance. I want to give as honest a performance as I can. But I'm not so worried about being regarded as beautiful when I'm playing a character. ”

Working gives you this new perspective. You don't take everything too seriously, and you realise that if you don't do too well on a history test, it's not the end of the world. ”