47 Quotes by Joan Allen

It's such a great feeling to make people laugh. I know I've made people cry or want to slit their wrists, but to make people laugh is a very intoxicating, wonderful thing.

I was a very good girl for a long time, that's what really drew me to acting. The stage was the perfect place to be outrageous, to be sad, to be angry, to be all these different things.

I get recognised sometimes. But I just live my life. I get on the bus, I get on the subway, it's not a problem.

I just try and do the best with every role I get to do. Hopefully the experience in itself is a good experience and people will want to work with me.

I never liked the bar scene. I tried to like it. I would give it a try every three or four months. I'd think, tonight I'm going out. But I never met anybody in that circumstance.

I think I knew acting was what I wanted to do. But I was from this small town and there was no place for an adult to recognise it.

I think of myself more as a character actor than that ingenue leading lady, who started out something like Michelle Pfeiffer, or Jessica Lange. I'm a bit quirkier than that.

I think the people who cast films tend to think of me in regard to strong women with integrity and a lot of it has been very good.

I was always much more shy. All I knew was that I loved to act. But I don't know about the other part of it. I'm not sure I had the chutzpah to go and prove yourself.