Fiona Shaw

“The camera is a very demanding machine. It's a box with a lens. It doesn't have a soul.”

“I think the English language is a magnificent tool, and you can abuse it, or you can use it.”

“Acting is a sport. On stage you must be ready to move like a tennis player on his toes.”

“I think there is a huge tyranny of success in the world.”

“I find the past so powerful. It's a huge thing for me. I can't imagine any of my characters not having a past.”

“Theatre is a sacred space for actors. You are responsible; you are in the driving-seat.”

“I have a healthy disrespect for religion.”

“I don't mind getting older. I don't mind not being a leading lady.”

“I'm not a person who has people telling me what to do. I'm a person who tells people what to do.”

“One's own life is not the only life.”

“I think the thing about acting is that it's a form of perpetual adolescence. You're endlessly trying on new clothes, new skins, new personalities.”

“There's something very releasing about playing a character that's not you.”

“You have to be very rigorous about the risks you are taking.”