“You're not directing an actor toward a thing they can't achieve. Because direction is elusive. When directors hold respect for the various craftsmen and -women who are telling the story, it's the greatest result. I think people do their bravest work when given an elusive canvas.” PeopleThinkingAchieveVariousCanvasElusive Author:Laura Dern
“I went to a Catholic school. The private school was good - the teachers wanted all of us to have the freedom to think for ourselves. The education was good at the Catholic school, but you only got that one ideology.” ThinkingSchoolTeacherCatholicIdeologyCatholic SchoolPrivate School Author:Laura Dern
“People are more willing to talk about child abuse. When this whole McMartin thing went down, I was at a dinner party with about eight people, all from different backgrounds and from all over the world. And every single person at that table had had some weird experience as a child. I think everyone has - whether it was with a babysitter, or playing doctor, but usually when some older person tries to come in contact with you. It's amazing how much we block out.” PeopleThinkingWorldTryingChildrenDifferentPartyAbuseBlockChild AbuseSingle PersonDinner PartyBabysitter Author:Laura Dern
“Even if you've gone through an average childhood, you have girlfriends who get pregnant and then have to choose whether or not to have a child. And this stuff certainly makes you think about what you're taking on. I certainly want to have children, but I could never do it until I felt I loved myself enough, and wanted to bring someone into the world because I had some kind of security.” ThinkingWorldKindChildrenEnoughChildhoodSecurityGirlfriendPregnantMake You Think Author:Laura Dern
“I study Carl Jung, who talks a lot about the shadow side, the repressed side. I think the scariest thing in the world is repression. There's plenty to be idealistic about, but we have to be aware of all sides of ourselves, and there are definitely shadows in all of us.” ThinkingWorldStudyShadowPlenty Author:Laura Dern
“I think it's interesting that there's always a dark cloud hanging over my character, in every movie. Even in Fat Man and Little Boy, where it's a real dark cloud. In Mask, it's more the judgment of others, but it's still a threat.” ThinkingMenRealCharacterDarkInterestingBoysJudgmentThreatMaskLittle Boys Author:Laura Dern
“I had a good understating about press: that it's the actor's responsibility to publicize his or her films, that the press can be fun, that it's not about hyping yourself into stardom or trying to sell yourself as a hot ticket. I think a lot of young actors now are getting caught up in that.” ThinkingTryingFilmFunResponsibilityHotCaught Up Author:Laura Dern
“There was a television show called The Innocents of Hollywood. Brooke Shields is a friend of mine and she saw one of the introductions to it, and she called me and said, "I think you better check this out." And on this show they talked about parents who'd ripped off their kids. One of them said, "My mother stole $300,000 from me as a child." Well, my mother opened a bank account for me when I made $60 on my first day of work as an extra. She's that kind of mother. But god knows what people will say when this movie comes out.” PeopleThinkingKindChildrenKidsMotherParentExtrasGod KnowsIntroduction Author:Laura Dern
“I do think my mother was a bit overprotective, not in any sordid way, but just normally. She certainly might say to me, "You know, Laura, I don't have a good feeling about that guy. I don't know if I want you to go out with him."” ThinkingFeelingsMotherGuyI Want You Author:Laura Dern
“It's interesting to talk to my mom about her character in Wild at heart, because she sees her as a mother who's just trying to protect her baby from a bad boy. I think that's why it works so beautifully - she has conviction about what she's doing.” ThinkingTryingHeartCharacterMotherInterestingBoysBabyMomProtectConvictionMy MomBad Boy Author:Laura Dern
“There are people on the ratings board and so froth who don't want certain scenes in the film. There are people who come up and say, "What graphic love scenes. I think, How can a love scene be graphic? Have you seen Total Recall? In this R-rated movie you see a man who you've seen being in love with and sleeping with this fabulous woman shoot her right through the head. "Consider this a divorce" is supposed to be the funniest line in the movie.” PeopleThinkingMenFilmSleepSceneDivorceFabulousBeing In LoveGraphic Author:Laura Dern
“What I consider a good part for a woman and what some other Hollywood people think are good women's parts are very different. I don't' want to play the supportive girlfriend who has nine scenes and just loves that man, maybe cheats on him in one scene but will always be there, and I mean - give me a break. You'll be offered the "lead" in this new hot film with such-and-such A-list director, "a fabulous part" - a fabulous part? A fabulous part is a character with a soul, who starts here and goes to there, you know? There aren't many of those.” PeopleThinkingMenGivingMeanDifferentSoulCharacterFilmBreakSceneHotGirlfriendCheatFabulousSupportiveGood Woman Author:Laura Dern
