When I very first started out, I had that arrogance of youth.

Everyone knows in the industry that when these great roles come up, every two years, there's a huge number of people up for them. I'm not one of those top five females that can personally finance any film.

OK, I wasn't as successful as, say, Julia Roberts, but I'd spent years in a very respectable career, some big American films but a host of other smaller, really exciting, maybe experimental films, being paid rubbish but working with fine people, that was what I thought I was known for.

My mother, for the last 20 years anyway, would not call herself a Marxist but a human rights activist.

The man who won't loan money isn't going to have many friends - or need them.

Actually, I never work in movies for money. I'm glad when I get well-paid, but it's not always the case - trust me.

The financial reward is great and I love the life I have, but all money makes possible is for you to stop worrying about money. Then you have freedom to live your life.

I like owning dirt. You know, I spent a lot of time broke when I moved to California. So deep in my soul is still this idea of being unemployed. To me, owning land means you could sell it at some point and have money.