Quotes from Kim Basinger

I never really saw my dad as entertained as when he was just completely blown away by somebody on the television screen or at the movies. I think that's the real reason that I went into acting.

I remember that Jack Lemmon, who is one of my favorite actors of all time, says that the day he stops being nervous is the day he should leave the business.

My hand still shakes when I sign autographs. I still go and sit in the movies like everyone else and look up there and go 'God! Movie stars! Wow!' And I'm in this business. I walk out there just fascinated, and I always want to stay like that. I'm just a little kid going to these movies, and I don't ever want to change.

The older I've gotten, I really do feel that it's a lack of trust that I see in people and that's why they don't follow their dreams - because they don't trust anything.

You have to trust the journey. That has become my motto for years: trust the journey. Because in the end, we're all kind of fearful. We all have fears and insecurities and ups and downs.

I love to be nervous before a scene.

I'm not too in love with the word ambition, but I was driven.

My dad was a musician, and that was his first love, and I think probably, to be really honest, it was my first love as well.

With every project I've ever done, I've always treated it like I'm still in school. Each time you try to go a little further, get a little deeper, feel a little more, sculpt it a little better.

I say when the truth wants to find you or wants to be found by you, it will come after you. You cannot stop that force.

The smartest thing you can do in this business is get connected with a great agent to help you. Get connected with people who will form a family around you, or a moat.

In this business, you can be at the top of the world and at the bottom of the barrel, and you're grape juice. I've been at both ends. It can make you become what you really are.

Clarity keeps you from boredom.

I love to see somebody who wants to be the best they can be.

There are so many things in this life that I want to do and I can't do them all.

Children need to grow up and make their own decisions - how they want to pierce their bodies or do whatever they need to.

I grew up on soul music. I was a dancing little creep.

I'm extremely competitive with myself. But I'm not actively competitive with other women in the business. Which may have been a mistake. I've never had someone in my life, agent or otherwise, fighting for me.

I feel there are two people inside me - me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely.

I feel there are two people inside of me-me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely.

I look at marriage and I think marriage is phenomenal. I think it's great. I don't hold anything against marriage.

You have to be a little unreal to be in this business.

I just absolutely, totally hated school. It was like a prison to me. I just could not stand that structured, absolute disciplined way of having to deal with life.

My dad had even hired an accompanist to play for me on a piano. But he had never pushed me to music because I don't think he wanted me to be hurt as much as he was if it didn't work.