Maggie Gyllenhaal Quotes

I just want to play strong characters, whatever that is in.

If you're going to play a woman, you might as well play a woman that you liked, and someone sexy.

I don't really want to play parts that I think are not fully developed or fleshed out, especially with female roles.

We often see literature about women that impair and immerse the women themselves, such as when women are portrayed as objects of consumerism.

I seem to be getting a lot of things pushed my way that are strong women. It's like people see Hackers and they send me offers to play tough women with guns, the kind who wear no bra and a little tank top. I'd like to play strong women who are also very feminine.

I became interested in educating people in the variety of ways in which women can express their emotion. Which is much easier to do in a large role than in a supporting role to a male protagonist. In general, the women in a supporting role to a male protagonist - cry a lot.

My family was always wondering why I ended up playing people who were mentally ill, insane, downtrodden, and a little crazy. I think what they don't understand is that most female parts are written basically as hysterical women.

These people I play are not usually wish-fulfillment characters.

I hate when they portray women as just sex symbols in short skirts, running around playing dumb. I refuse to watch such films or be in such films.

It's very rare that I play cool people. I'm not sure what that says about me.

Women are always self-effacing and self-denying. There's a term that enrages me, and I always used to swear that I'd never play characters described that way. The term is "long-suffering."

I'll always be figuring out what parts I want to play, because I want to play all parts. I'm a very hungry actress.

I don't think male characters are as one-dimensional as female characters.

I find that at almost every press junket I get that comment, "this character's different from what you generally play..." And that's OK! But I think "generally play" stems back to Mr Darcy. I'm fine with it but I tend to find that if it's a departure, which in other people's words it always is, it's always a departure from that.

There's always male roles I want to play. I'm so annoyed when I watch movies and go, "That could have been played by a woman."

I'm aware of the power of looks. I've wanted to play roles that have gone to much better-looking people and you just think 'Oh well, that's the pin up guy's an actor like my friend James Mcavoy, who's gorgeous on screen. I'm not that. But at least I don't have to worry about taking precious care of my face because it's my commodity. That's a great freedom. I'm not afraid of being heinous for the sake of a part

I think it's OK to play to your strengths, and if I have a quality of Englishness that people like, I won't hide that. I'm probably not going to play a junkie and that's OK because there are other people who will do it better. A view that's been held for a long time is that the best way to prove oneself as an actor is to play the grittiest roles out there. I don't agree with that.

I think you get the parts that people are comfortable with seeing you play. I get that. And I don't shy away from those parts.

Moviemaking is so male-dominated now that they think they’re being pro-feminine when they have women punching each other out.

I've always made a point of playing parts where weight has nothing to do with it, and not just weight but looks. It's about being funny and being interesting, and I think there are a lot more interesting things to play than being overweight.

I never pick a film based on the genre; I choose the characters I play. I will think it through thoroughly - whether I am the best person to play the character, able to excel in it and match with the other characters.

Sometimes they come to you and it's a small role, so it's about the experience and the journey and mixing with people you know you will learn from. Or sometimes it's a scene in a movie that you think, 'I just have to play this person.'

I would think I'd accomplished it all if I could get to play Quasimodo.

This is not the 19th century, where actors are expected to play completely opposite roles. We're not typecast, but we're brought in because somebody thinks that it's a good fit, so you make it a better fit.

I've never played a character that is just beautiful, but sometimes you can read scripts that sound so shallow, like women are objects. I've never done something like that, though.