I’ve had very close relationships with some twentieth-century writers.

You don’t go to a comedy and try to laugh. You laugh in spite of yourself. You don’t just come on stage and cry. Something has pushed you to cry.

When you play someone who is an iconic figure you can’t go into it lightly.

It’s true, I’ve become one of those grumpy older women.

People in distress behave in a stressful way. They aren’t all sweetness and light. They don’t behave well when they are unhappy. That’s just what I’ve observed.

I’ve never lost a grown-up child, but I have known loss.

You can’t look at people being crucified. Even if you know it is just pretend.

I love the drive from York to Whitby over the moors – one of the great journeys, in my book.

In my life, I’ve had estates in Russia, houses in Spain, in Norway, in the deep south of America.

The trouble with anyone when they’re unhappy or in a relationship they recognize is not working but don’t know what to do about is that they can’t see farther out than that. If the relationship is not working, if what was there isn’t there anymore, you have to do something about it.