“He gave me a look at myself I’ve never had before. He saw something in me nobody else ever did. He made me see it too. He made me believe it.”

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

I’m the original take-orders girl.

How strange when an illusion dies. It’s as though you’ve lost a child.

I’ve seen the ticket, and I still can’t believe it. When I see the money, I hope I don’t hit the floor.

If I am a legend, then why am I so lonely?

I was born in a lovely white house with a garden.

I try to bring the audience’s own drama – tears and laughter they know about – to them.

To let a fool kiss you is bad. To let a kiss fool you is worse. ‘Twas not my lips you kissed but my soul.

We cast away priceless time in dreams, born of imagination, fed upon illusion, and put to death by reality.

I can live without money, but I cannot live without love.

I was born at the age of twelve on an MGM lot.

I’ve always taken ‘The Wizard of Oz’ very seriously, you know. I believe in the idea of the rainbow. And I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over it.

Give the people what they want and then go have a hamburger.

When I die I have visions of fags singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ and the flag at Fire Island being flown at half mast.

People en masse have always been wonderful to me. I truly have a great love for an audience. I want to give them two hours of just pow.

Audiences have kept me alive.

Tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it.

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.

He pondered, what would make them believe in me? And God created women.

I don’t believe too much in luck. I believe in circumstances. I believe in work.

I believe in using words, not fists. I believe in my outrage knowing people are living in boxes on the street. I believe in honesty. I believe in a good time. I believe in good food. I believe in sex.

I do not myself feel that any person who is really profoundly humane can believe in everlasting punishment.

Whatever you may be balancing in life right now, wherever you’re working hard to get to, you’re doing a damn phenomenal job.

What a magical spell those stars cast, making us believe we were written for them.