Julie McNiven Quotes

Mostly, I have to say as an actor, to find a character that's been rich enough for 10 seasons of shows... that's very rare.

I'd never played a cop before, and this particular role with what she is going thru, especially during the first season, covering her alcoholism to her on the job performance, was a great opportunity for me as an actress.

Well, it was very interesting to play a character and stretch it over such a long time - 12 episodes. I had never done a TV show before, so week to week it was unclear what we would be asked to do.

I enjoy working on a series and having a long stretch of time to get to know and connect with my cast and crew. It also gives me the ability to play a character over the span of countless hours of television.

When you have a movie, you know who they start out as and where they go. But this is constantly changing, and you're growing with the character.

I think difficult characters are very rewarding to do. They often have facets to them and this and that.

On 'Swingtown,' I think that's when I was able to blend the character-slash-leading lady roles, and that's what I'm doing on 'Once Upon a Time' as well. She's a leading lady, but she's also this character.

It's not good just to have life experience of film-making and that's all. It's hard to play a real person when you've been in jets and town cars for three years.

I know Mama Rose is a great role and I love having a chance to do it.

It was my first straight dramatic role, and the most adult, intelligent one I have ever played.

I think if people stick with 'The Leftovers,' it's a very rewarding viewing experience. I wanted to be part of that - and what a great cast we got. I wanted to be one of those actors, in that show!

I couldn't imagine something asking as much of me as 'House Of Cards.' It's a great warm-up for coming back to the screen.

Every actor wants to have a character that changes, that has some kind of movement, that gets from point A to point B, that doesn't just supply one note.

When you're doing lots and lots of episodes and you're playing the same character, it's great because you really get to know the character and it becomes a really fast style and you find subtleties in it.

It's great playing a mature character. It adds something.

When you can have a character that the audience likes from the beginning, but then you put them in a situation where they grow - I think that gives it a lot of heart.

Usually, at the end of a film it's like I've finally gotten to know this person completely, and then we're done. That actually happened on the set of 'Twilight,' and then it happened again on 'New Moon.' Each time my character Bella became a different person, and I got to know that person and take her to the next level.

If you change a character too much, the audience falls out of love with the character, but characters need to evolve and grow over the years.

I like roles of people who can overcome things because there's strength in that and an arc - and roles where they start in one place, and toward the end of the script they end up in a completely different place, so you've seen this growth and some humanity in the role.

It's exciting to originate Jessica Jones. There's obviously more freedom in that versus playing a well known character.

What's interesting about playing Maura is that I get to use more of Jeffrey that I've ever used in any role, and I think that's the remarkable part about it and truly the most surprising part about doing this role.

It's exciting to play someone who is a bit tougher than I am. I liked feeling those adjustments.

When I did the pilot, Mort was very real to me. When I got through with the ten weeks, Maura is even more real to me.

The loveliest roles, for me, have a growth arc - a beginning, a middle, and an end - and I'm always grateful when I can find one of those emotional journeys.

Luckily, on 'Kyle XY,' I had great training in being tough and vulnerable at the same time.