I saw I wasn't an ingenue like Debbie Reynolds.

I'd like for 'Facts of Life' to include more stories about Mrs. Garrett. But I wouldn't want to do a spin-off built around her.

I know I was influenced by Beatrice Lillie. I must have been.

Composers, artists, actors, singers - all of them, I think, unconsciously learn from others. I'm sure it's not conscious, but they can't help it.

Television does devour you because you have all sorts of responsibilities, and I really needed to renew myself. I think I owed it to myself. So I honored myself and quit. I think that's a wonderful way to put it.

When I moved to New York to start my acting career, I was always very, very careful to walk way around ladders, and black cats could ruin my day. There were many silly things that brought fear into my life.

When I was little, and whenever I had to wear a dress while my mother took up the hem or made any alterations, she told me to keep a thread from the dress in my mouth while she was sewing, and that would keep me from getting stuck by the needle.

I always like to do serious plays.

People of a certain age still remember me as Edna Garrett. They often want to give me a hug because the character was so warm and nurturing. I don't mind at all. I think it's very nice.

When I started out, I wanted to be a serious actor. I never thought I'd get into comedy.