Top 30 Maggie Gyllenhaal Quotes

There are things that are really disappointing about being an actress in Hollywood that surprise me all the time.

A big part of being an actress specifically is feeling entitled to your artistic opinion, feeling that it means something, and being able to stand by it.

For a long time, I bought into the idea that if you are a woman who is a storyteller and a lover of movies, then the best way to express that is as an actress. Obviously, there are women my age who are directors who didn’t buy into that idea, but I did – and now I’ve broken that down inside myself.

When I was in grade school in L.A., I really loved Cyndi Lauper. I did everything I could to look like her. I had wild outfits and always wore different coloured socks. I wore loads of ribbons in my hair and let them fall in my eyes.

I don’t think I’m a brilliant writer, but I’m a good writer, and it’s just so empowering to get involved.

Who can I trust? You have to invest in somebody and chances are you’re probably going to invest in somebody who’s going to deceive you. I’ve been conned a couple of times, but now I’m a little more savvy.

I used to think that if I did my very best work, then everyone would love it, but I’ve realised that not everybody thinks the same things are good. It took me 30 years even to begin to see that.

I think Secretary’s funny, it is about sex, and there’s a lot of sex in it, sex is the key, but you’re talking about a lot of other complicated things.

I think it’s worth putting energy into affirmative action in terms of having diversity in positions of power because the door was shut for so long.

I think sex is very interesting for most people, but I’m interested in sex as a way of communication, I’m not that interested in the fantasy version of a sex scene.

I’m still trying to figure out what the right line is between myself and the people I play. Sometimes I go too far one way or too far the other.

Therapy was incredibly enlightening. I don’t think it’s only necessary if you’re unwell – it’s a useful tool for me to understand my own mind and how it works.

College gave me validation: I gained a lot of confidence, just from once or twice saying something in class and the professor saying, ‘Great idea.’ That experience has certainly helped me say to a director, ‘Actually, I think my idea is at least worth talking about.’

After making ‘Secretary,’ it was a real shock to me to learn that some directors just aren’t interested in what actors have to say. They just don’t want to collaborate.

I studied English literature; I took 2 independent religion classes, but I wasn’t a religion major really.

I have a raging temper. I’ll shout and scream, then it passes like a wicked storm.

Having an education is invaluable.

I like clothes. And I think it’s OK to think about clothes just so long as you also think about other things. I’m not interested in clothes to the point where they’ll push other things out of my mind; I just see them as a way of expressing yourself, and a pleasure, really.

Ten years ago, it was really difficult for a young actress to walk onto a set and disagree with the director and having that be OK and have a conversation about it and everyone be cool with it.

I feel so gratified about having finished college. I learned how to articulate myself. It gave me confidence more than anything. And also the ability to analyze the text.

I’m not interested in showing the wish of what it looks like to be human. I’m interested in showing what it actually looks like.

I get magnetically pulled towards a project because there’s something in it that offers me the opportunity to explore the edge of my understanding about myself.

I happen to be in a line of work where I get given lots of clothes, and I definitely think it’s fun, but I know that, ultimately, fashion is not that important. I use fashion, though, as a way of thinking about who I am.

I don’t see that many movies lately that are actually about something, that are trying to challenge something about the way that people interact.

When you are in every scene of a movie – which I must say I really much prefer – you have more control over the film that you’re making. Because the choices you make as an actor can’t help but change what the movie is saying.

I made a movie where I played a girl that just got out of prison and we shot it very very quickly but very intensely-that took me a long time to get over.

We were lounging around in this beautiful house in LA, and I’m coming from NY, so sometimes when we weren’t working I would just sit on those folding chairs.

I liked that idea. Someone who’s trying to perform herself and not succeeding.

You’re not going to do good work if you’re not choosing something because it inspires you.

On a film, I was always acting. I was either changing my clothes really quickly and wiping off the lipstick and putting on the other lipstick and then working constantly, constantly.