Quotes from Carmen Cusack

It's nice to be able to go do what I love and come home - and get in my own bed.

Originating something is what every actor waits for. Usually, those opportunities are offered to people who already have a name.

I didn't get jobs because when I went into the audition, I tried to be somebody else. I had to realize, what I can actually bring to the table is unique. No one else has experienced what I've experienced; no one else has walked in my shoes.

It's hard for some parents to give their children compliments.

I think I've gotten to the point in my life where I have to do everything that I'm scared of because you're not going to learn anything if you don't, so you just have to dive in the deep end and see if you can swim.

When you do something eight times a week, you fall into those little places where sometimes things can get a bit stagnant. That's why I always welcome a new face on the stage.

Just stay present in the moment, and what will come will come.

Going to Broadway - then to be invited to the Tonys - I really tap into what that feels like now to fulfill lifetime goals.

'Wicked' is so hard-core, physically and mentally, for the whole three hours, that doing that show for two years has pretty much prepared me for anything.

Taking the arts out of schools is a terrible mistake.

We had to grow up very fast. There never was a day when there wasn't shouting about the bills.

We all have to go through our own experiences of growing up.

I don't think I've grown up easily.

My mother had people lay hands on me to cast demons out of me when I was 8. Then two or three times when I was in college.

To be honest with you, most of the time the ingenue roles are a little bit dull and boring, in my opinion.

I've had one fall that I kind of hurt my toe pretty badly because I slammed into one of the set pieces. But, you know, you just get up and keep going. The adrenaline's pumping, and you just carry on!

I was worried that my voice would struggle with talking nonstop every night, but it's been fine.

An accent always helps me ground a character. It also helps to remind me what age I'm playing.

We will always need to be reminded that we are human. Art gives us that.

I didn't know I was going to go into musical theater necessarily. It was never planned. I just kind of fell into it because I knew I wanted to act, and yet I had this opera training... I knew I had a voice.

I'm just going to do things that I like to do, sing songs that I like to sing.

I've been singing Rodgers and Hammerstein all my life.

I grew up in the church. My mother was highly religious. I was singing at the age of five for big congregations.

Show biz! It's definitely not for sissies.