Julie Kavner

"I was brought up not to be selfish or self-centered. So if you play somebody who isnt so lovable, you can play that person and no one will turn on you."

"As an actor you cant approach the character with that kind of awareness or it plays as I hate myself. Dottie thought she had a right to her life and that was tricky to play."

"[W]hen I was a kid and I would get upset when people laughed at me when I didnt mean to be funny. I would always hear: Were not laughing at you. Were laughing with you. But I would say, Im not laughing."

"I’m very, very private; I don’t enjoy talking about myself to strangers...Particularly strangers with tapes going."

"I feel that you reach a certain age and then things start to jell. My sense of self is stronger. Im getting bolder in my old age. After I hit forty, you couldnt mess around with me so much anymore."

"[W]hat I do is not mimicry or an impersonation, but more of an assimilation"