Quotes from Andrea Riseborough

Someone who's a great hero of mine and has become a friend is Patti Smith.

I think it's really hard to move between genres, and I think, especially in Britain, we're very judgmental about it - me included. I know that when an actor comes out with some poetry or an album, I think, 'Oh crikey, what's this going to be like?'

When I was younger, I used to try to fit in, but now I'm much more comfortable with just being myself.

We need to band together in solidarity. There's so many portions of our community that are under-represented. You rarely see disabled actors on movie posters or black men or Latino guys.

I can walk into meetings now and ask for equal pay, and the people will listen to me. They may not give it to me, but I will be listened to. That's huge.

I don't read reviews, and it's not because I don't think I can learn something, I'm sure I could learn a lot. I just that I feel very passionately about the work and especially when you're doing theater, you really only need one director and when you read reviews, you feel like you have twelve, because you respond to them, naturally.

I think, sometimes, you can just get really burnt out on something you enjoy doing and feel like the sponge is completely wrung dry.

You can't tell what's going to fulfill you in different stages in your life.

I have no interest in doing anything other than good work.

People are fascinating. They're so unique and I think what's more fascinating is the reason behind the physical characteristic, the enigma, that's where the gold dust is.

I can't tell you how disheartening it is to be told to go home because the director is filming you from behind and you don't have the right kind of body. As an actress, to be told that... Well, it's just a very odd set of circumstances.

I love the company of actors, but the crazier it gets, the more I've come to realise how valuable my time is with my friends who work on the land or are builders or, you know, make music. Work in offices. Run shops.

Sometimes I can receive the world and regurgitate my version of events easily and sometimes it's hard.

I'm an artist; affirmation is like catnip to me.

I don't relate to people that look like me. I find it deeply unsatisfying to play a version of myself. It was something I had to figure out really early on, when I was at RADA, because I was being cast, over and over again, as the young, virginal thing. When I left RADA, I was on an absolute mission to never wear make-up.

Often, I'll read a script and the female character's an extension or serves some sort of purpose in terms of the male character's narrative and it just isn't fully formed. But they will be very beautiful. Whether a secretary or a doctor or a vet, they will be very beautiful.