Quotes from Elizabeth Marvel

I never had any preconceived ideas about acting, because I always thought I was going to be a visual artist.

OK, so I'm a working mom that also gets to kiss George Clooney. That's a little bit of a perk of the job.

I've been around the block.

My God, I have so much bounty in my life.

I just love the idea of doing an all-female play on Broadway.

I don't look presidential. I don't wear, you know, three-piece suits and have my hair perfectly coiffed.

I've been told I'm bright. But when I act, I get incredibly stupid. I feel my intellect slowing down. I feel it happening physically. And that's not negative in acting!

I have no ability or interest to play that weak, beaten person.

When I finished high school, I didn't have much direction - I was a Deadhead kid who ended up bumming around London seeing a lot of theater. That's where I saw the performance that made me want to act: Vanessa Redgrave doing 'A Touch of the Poet.'

Every time I do a play, I'm like, 'When do I get to do the one where I wear a gown, sit in a chair, and say funny things?' I'd love to do that.

I think there is a certain gravitas about me. My energy can be very big and yet contained.

How do you stand tall and strong as a woman while trying to be the smartest woman in the room and try to remain non-threatening?

It's all really nice to have my pretend Secret Service people paying me respect, but the moment I walk in the door, it's back to being 'Mom.'

I was in several Shakespeare in the Park productions in my younger years, but I've been busy with other things for a while.

By nature, my default place is a very introverted one, so it's funny to be in such an extroverted profession. I'm a little inappropriately in it.

I'm not familiar with an unaccepting family. But in my profession, nothing can be foreign.

You know, the '80s, as crazy as the '80s were, that was a surprisingly kind and generous environment that I found myself in as a teenager.

I went to an art school in high school and got in a little trouble like you do when you're a teenager and not being closely supervised. I did. I followed the Dead around, and it was fun. It was great. It was kind and sweet and lovely.

You always hear about the disempowered actor, their fate in other people's hands. It's just really wonderful to experience it the other way around.

Who wouldn't want to play the leader of the free world?

I see a lot of art; we see a lot of music, films at Sundance... that influences me and informs me more than theater just because I make a bigger effort to see other art forms.

It's really interesting because I'm a Quaker... so it's been radical to me to be hired by the Department of Defense under contract.

If I'm asking people to give me two hours of their time, it's because I really feel like they need to listen to what the writer is talking about.

There are lots of rats. It's a dirty little secret at the Delacorte Theatre.