“There’s always going to be pressure, and there’s always going to be an area where you disappoint. As a storyteller, you have to understand that.”

And I’m a very physical person: I talk with my hands. And I felt how the clothes took that away from me. And that was the idea, I think. It was a way of limiting women.

Every time ‘Lady Macbeth’ and everyone involved in the film gets nominated, it’s amazing.

I can definitely hold my hands up and say wrestling wasn’t something that I grew up watching.

Someone asked if I wanted to be the first female Bond, and I was saying that I don’t think we necessarily need that whole conversation.

If you ever want to be interrogated, get Michael Shannon to do it. He’s an amazing man. I loved working with him.

The Kate Winslet thing has been a shocker. I was like, that is the most ridiculous claim.

The women I’m attracted to playing I hope will mean something to someone.

The Silence of the Lambs’ is my favourite book, favourite film.

I wanted to go to drama school, but when I got the part in ‘Falling,’ I got an agent, so it seemed a good idea to work.

Feisty women are my calling!

We actually did perform it in front of all those thousands of people. And just beforehand, we had a little dress rehearsal, and there were all these famous wrestlers going around and watching as well. Terrifying.

I love watching faces as they grow up. It’s the difference between so many strong British actresses compared to what America does to women.

I always hate it when I see the wrong person in massive roles, so for me, my biggest fear would be accepting a role I thought I wouldn’t find the rhythm of.

In order for us to appreciate this world, we have to be a bit more honest, and I hope I do that.

I love all of Kate Winslet’s characters. And Natalie Portman. If I can have a smidgen of what they’ve done, that would be awesome.

Why aren’t there these epic roles for women, for whatever age you are?

Sanity lies somewhere between the inhibitions of conventional morality and the looseness of extreme impulse, but the area in-between is very fuzzy.

Truly, with a sitcom and the rhythms of comedy… music is so helpful in that area of life.

The memories of childhood have a strange shuttling quality, and areas of darkness ring the spaces of light.

I’ve been successful in different areas, but nothing brings a smile to my face more than my oldest son, Zaire, and my second son, Zion, saying the kind word of ‘Dad.’

Literature is one of the few areas left where black and white feel some identity of purpose; we all struggle under censorship.

Writing is making sense of life. You work your whole life and perhaps you’ve made sense of one small area.

Larry Bird is overrated in a lot of areas. … Why does he get so much publicity? Because he’s white. You never hear about a black player being the greatest.

I’m a basketball player. That’s what I do and what I love but that’s just not all who I am. I’m talented in a lot of different areas.