Quotes from Kelly Reilly

At my school, Shakespeare wasn't on the syllabus - at least not for me.

Being at the pinnacle of my career is not to turn up in some multiplex blockbuster.

I've no wish to appear in celebrity magazines.

Obviously, education is hugely important, along with healthcare. They're the basics and you're hurting your own country if you don't pour money into them.

I'm not temperamentally into high comedy. I'm not a Noel Coward kind of girl.

You put yourself on tape as an actor a lot - and you send them off, they go out into the ether, and you have no idea what's going to come back, or when.

We live in a celebrity-obsessed society.

I don't want to be doing fashion shoots and being interviewed about where I shop. Who cares?

The British theatre and establishment is so hard to penetrate, and there are so many talented people involved in it. So, to be counted among some of those actresses... It doesn't get better than that.

My personal life, my normal life, is so important to me. To be able to go back to my personal life and leave characters behind is important; I don't keep them with me.

Literally, I don't know where life is gonna go from one day to the next, and that's as exciting as it is tiring.

There is a part of me that is not fulfilled by acting. It is a self-involved life; it can feel shallow, but not very often.

I think when you're an actor and you're drawing on your emotions all the time, you need to be quite steady.

I hate to say that my mother was 'just a housewife', because in addition to that she has had lots of part-time secretarial jobs in factories and hospitals, always working really hard for our family.

I love strong women in films that are allowed to play women and not male fantasies.

I love actresses who are brave and don't do what's expected of them or don't play off how they look or take risks.

I'm a theater actress. I love rehearsal. I could have six weeks of rehearsal and think it's not enough. But on film, you don't get that luxury.

Auditioning is a horrible experience because you know you are being absolutely scrutinized and judged. There are days where you can do it and days where it's just not happening, and I feel like that's how it is with all artists; you have some days it kind of works.

You know, I really enjoy longevity. I see actors in their forties and they just turn out these really fabulous roles and characters. You know who they are, but you wouldn't necessarily know their names.

I need someone who understands an artist's mentality. I couldn't be with someone who wouldn't let me have my freedom.

Women do well in their thirties. They put their bags down and say, 'This is who I am - like it or lump it.' There is a more relaxed quality, which I like.

When I was younger, I used to write to directors when I was unsure I could play a role. I'd say: 'You've made a terrible mistake.'

It's lovely to work with a group of actors who make you laugh and smile.

When it comes to my work, I'm fearless. I go with my gut.