“I’d started going to acting classes at 14, played ‘Medea’ at 15 and really wanted to be a classical actress.”

When they tried me out as a host on TV, I found that I just couldn’t be that gregarious person. I was stranger than that.

I have one son. Of everything I’ve done in my life, nothing matches the feeling of having life growing inside you.

I’ve always liked working really hard and then doing nothing in particular. So, consequently, I didn’t overexpose myself; I guess I maintained a kind of mystery. I wasn’t ambitious.

I still like my antique clothes.

I love things that are indescribable, like the taste of an avocado or the smell of a gardenia.

If I hear a record once, I usually never listen to it again. I rarely listen to music – unless it’s Billie Holiday.

Oh God, don’t envy me, I have my own pains.

Being a celebrity is a no-win situation. If you get along with your co-star you’re having an affair, if you don’t you’re having a feud.

I just don’t like the idea of her singing my songs. Who the hell does she thinks she is? The world doesn’t need another Streisand! (on Diana Ross)

I can take any truth; just don’t lie to me.

Men are allowed to have passion and commitment for their work… a woman is allowed that feeling for a man, but not her work.

Why is it men are permitted to be obsessed about their work, but women are only permitted to be obsessed about men?

Art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, in a constant search for truth.

I wish I could be like Shaw who once read a bad review of one of his plays, called the critic and said: ‘I have your review in front of me and soon it will be behind me.’

Life’s too short. Start with Dessert!

I don’t like the word ‘superstar’. It has ridiculous implications. These words – star, stupor, superstar, stupid star – they’re misleading. It’s a myth.

Not that they were that anxious to see Ronnie as President; they were afraid if he didn’t get elected, he’d go back to acting.

I played St. Jimmy on Broadway I sort of caught the acting bug. But I didn’t want to go full-bore into it because I have a lot to learn.

I tried acting and all of the arts, I even put out a record album, but what I like the most is business.

I really like acting but, just now, the more I read a script I find myself thinking I’d like to direct rather than act.

I mean, stand up you’re by yourself and it’s live and when you’re acting, unless you’re doing a monologue, you’re interacting with somebody else. Even if you’re doing a monologue you’re saying it to somebody and it’s not live so you can do it a few times.

I think personal growth has much to do with acting ability.

I love telling stories and acting and entertaining people. I don’t want to make fun of people.

One of the things I like about acting is that, in a funny way, I come back to myself.