Julia Sawalha Quotes

I love when I am not typecast. I've been acting for 50 years. I was such a baby face; I was playing children until I was in my 30s, which frustrated me enormously. Now that I am 65 and getting to play women in their 50s, I am getting paid back for having to play children for so long.

I think every major character I've played was originally for an older woman. I have no idea what that says. I guess I'm mature for my age.

I don't reflect on sort of the age of the roles that I get. It's usually just what plays into what's believable - 'Am I believable at this age?'

But I've always believed that Christine Cagney shouldn't be played past a certain age.

I want to play women my own age, rather than artificially 'de-age' myself so that I can play women who are younger or much younger than I am. I want to grow into those kind of more mature parts, not try and keep them at bay for as long as I possibly can.

There is no question that the older you get, the fewer good roles there are.

People pay to see movies with women looking beautiful, but I think there will be a place for me to play women looking my own age.

I have been really lucky to play roles younger than myself for most of my career.

The only reason I ever thought about retiring from the front part of the camera as opposed to the back is sometimes you think, "How many roles are there for someone my age?"

When you first get out of doing a show for a long time where you played a teenager, casting directors and producers all still look at you as being the character that you played for so long.

I do intelligent roles. I don't want to be labeled as doing silly movies. I'm more mature than kids my age because I'm constantly surrounded by adults.

My career seems to have worked out OK, especially since I turned 40. I've always had a character part, mind you - I've never played the princess. But if you're used to doing that, it must be soul-destroying to hit 40 and suddenly find there's nothing for you to do.

Character roles definitely age better than your ingenues. You don't get to keep doing that.

I have very young looks, so it's easy for me to play high school, but I'm trying to stay away from high-school movies. As I get older, I'll try and broaden my talents.

Hopefully I won't be 35 still playing a 16-year-old.

You want to see women your own age in films.

Being a character actor, I can go on until I'm 70 or 80; I'm not bound to the way I look.

I've always believed that if you are willing to play your age that you will work, so it's the thing of continuing to play your age and accepting it when you're younger and you suddenly realize, 'Oh, now I'm playing the mom,' 'Oh, I'm playing the grandma.'

I've played a lot of younger, more coming-of-age roles as well as roles that aren't such an imposing physical presence.

As an actor, you get to sort of bounce back and forth in terms of the age range you play and the life experience that your characters have.

Older actors can still play young, but it's harder for young actors to be able to play that age range.

I'm looking forward to playing the meatier roles you get in your 30s. The early 20s can be a hard time for an actress - it's always bombshell or romantic lead. The good stuff you can really sink your teeth into comes later.

I don't want to be 45 competing with 20-year-olds, running to go get Botox. I want to be an expressive actor hired for the age that I am, portraying women who are my age: 40. I'm just hoping I can find some of those roles to play. Otherwise, I have to find something else.

I would like to do more dramas when I find a good role that will allow me to politely upset people's expectations of me as a comic actor.

Most films are written and made with a hero around 35, or even 25.