I would like to think that in America, as time goes on, you gain freedom, not lose freedom. – Mary Steenburgen
I want women, especially young women, to create a world where your success is not based on being young. – Mary Steenburgen
I think the secret to what Jim Henson did, ultimately, is that he understood how to cut through to the… I know this sounds corny… but the child inside of you. – Mary Steenburgen
My heritage, many generations back, is Dutch and it was fun to go where nobody asked me how to pronounce my name. – Mary Steenburgen
I helped found Artists for New South Africa, but it used to be called Artists for Free South Africa. Alfre Woodard and a bunch of us started this. – Mary Steenburgen
I remember when I was growing up and watching southern people depicted on television, I thought, ‘Well, based on what I’m seeing, I guess I’m supposed to be stupid and racist.’ It’s still, sadly, the easy route for a writer to go. – Mary Steenburgen
I actually believed if I behaved myself and if I made straight A’s and if I was good enough, I could save my dad’s life. And every single time he had a heart attack, I knew what I had done that caused it. – Mary Steenburgen
There’s just a total boatload of crazy that goes with singing live for the first time when you’re 60 years old. – Mary Steenburgen
I think that we need to look hard at our beliefs and be responsible about how we speak out. – Mary Steenburgen
We don’t want to be reminded that life ends at some point, so they don’t put older people on the screen. – Mary Steenburgen
I know that’s why I became an actress. In my dream world, I could get mad and scream and yell, and if somebody died, they got up again. In real life, I didn’t dare try it. – Mary Steenburgen
Christopher Lloyd was actually the first person – or certainly one of the first few – who ever spoke to me on film. – Mary Steenburgen
I think, as an actor, you’re constantly confronted with your fear of sticking your neck out. – Mary Steenburgen
It’s very easy to approach a character like that – a so-called strong woman who overcomes the odds – and give a one-note performance, playing that strength alone. Strength is only one thing a person has. – Mary Steenburgen
I did ‘Philadelphia’ and ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ at the same time. It’s kind of wonderful to do it that way, because you get very hyper-focused. – Mary Steenburgen
I’d already made the decision before I’d even read it-just because it was John Sayles. Then when I read it, the themes were actually themes that have been a big part of my life. – Mary Steenburgen
If you want to grow up and do what I do for a living – be an actress – my advice to you is read as much as you can. – Mary Steenburgen
‘Step Brothers’ is probably the film the most people who approach me want to talk about. – Mary Steenburgen
Do I feel like I still need to prove myself? Absolutely. And I want to feel that way, and I like that. – Mary Steenburgen
When you spend three months of your life doing a movie, it’s important to enjoy yourself. – Mary Steenburgen
I’ve had a great time doing it – being able to say yes to a couple of amazing shows. – Mary Steenburgen
I take the fact that films cost a lot of money very seriously, but once in a while to have somebody say, This is a big scene, take your time with it, is important. That’s John Sayles. – Mary Steenburgen
I’m real strong, and I’m also real feminine, and I don’t find a struggle having those two things under one roof. – Mary Steenburgen
