“It’s so important to have that independence. You know it yourself: Everyone needs evenings of their own.”

I consider my education to be the first 10 years of my career.

People assume actresses are afraid to get older; the truth is the roles get a whole lot more compelling once you’re too old to play dumb.

When you choose to be an actor, you are going against the odds.

If I’m left high and dry at the end of this wild journey, just taking it is a great feeling.

My dad is Irish. I spent my childhood going back and forth between Ireland and America.

I used to experiment all the time with my hair color.

When I kiss a girl for a part, people think it’s sexy. But if two guys kiss, suddenly there’s a backlash. It’s a double standard.

When I first did theatre, I was always doing comedies; it was always my first love. But it wasn’t what I was picked for at first, for films and TV.

Only the really young are fearless, have the optimism, the romanticism to take unimaginable risks.

Believe it or not, I’m a big fan of patchouli oil. I know it’s not a universally liked fragrance. I usually combine it with other essential oils – I have many mixtures I like.

I’ve always been a fan of science fiction. My family, we all used to watch ‘Star Trek’ together, which is kind of a nerdy family activity.

As you get older, you start to really ask questions like, ‘Is this the road I should be walking down?,’ because every decision seems more final, as you get older.

I feel like the luckiest child in the world because I got to grow up in Ireland. In summer is when you really grow up. During the year, I would go back to the States, and all year long really couldn’t wait to get back to Ardmore.

I don’t own a scale, and Tao banned the word ‘fat’ from our house. If we eat too much, we say, ‘I feel clogged up.’

I’m a natural blonde, but I feel like a brunette.

If you fall off a horse, you get back up. I am not a quitter.