I want to have some effect on the way the world works in whatever way I can, and I also want to have the power to help get the movies that I think are important made. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I don’t see that many movies lately that are actually about something, that are trying to challenge something about the way that people interact. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
There was something to me that was really compelling about that woman, already knowing she couldn’t get pregnant. When I made that movie I was maybe 24, and to be 24 and already know you can’t get pregnant, that was really interesting to me. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
A play is much easier to maintain your personal life with because if you’re rehearsing, you’re working like from 11 to 6 or 11 to 5 and you get to have your whole morning and your whole evening. When you’re doing the play, you have all day. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
We were lounging around in this beautiful house in LA, and I’m coming from NY, so sometimes when we weren’t working I would just sit on those folding chairs. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I feel so gratified about having finished college. I learned how to articulate myself. It gave me confidence more than anything. And also the ability to analyze the text. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I think sex is very interesting for most people, but I’m interested in sex as a way of communication, I’m not that interested in the fantasy version of a sex scene. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I feel there is no shortage of real interesting women’s roles. But I found them and did all of them just now. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Who can I trust? You have to invest in somebody and chances are you’re probably going to invest in somebody who’s going to deceive you. I’ve been conned a couple of times, but now I’m a little more savvy. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
On a film, I was always acting. I was either changing my clothes really quickly and wiping off the lipstick and putting on the other lipstick and then working constantly, constantly. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I’m still trying to figure out what the right line is between myself and the people I play. Sometimes I go too far one way or too far the other. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I think Secretary’s funny, it is about sex, and there’s a lot of sex in it, sex is the key, but you’re talking about a lot of other complicated things. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I studied English literature; I took 2 independent religion classes, but I wasn’t a religion major really. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
You have a right to your opinion about the work that you’re doing. An artist is as equally important as the director. If you believe that, you can work in any circumstances. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
I made a movie where I played a girl that just got out of prison and we shot it very very quickly but very intensely-that took me a long time to get over. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
A big part of being an actress specifically is feeling entitled to your artistic opinion, feeling that it means something, and being able to stand by it. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
You’re not going to do good work if you’re not choosing something because it inspires you. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Ten years ago, it was really difficult for a young actress to walk onto a set and disagree with the director and having that be OK and have a conversation about it and everyone be cool with it. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
Most people are interested in seeing 27-year-old women who are in movies somehow connected to sex. It’s interesting to everyone. Especially little movies that are having trouble getting made, there’s always sex. – Maggie Gyllenhaal
