I Can't Be A Man. But I

When I Was Growing Up, Particularly During Puberty In My Teen Years, I Was So Miserable Because I Elicited So Much Teasing And Meanness From My Teenage Cohorts.

I Think People Have Always Liked In Me The Combination Of Being The Underdog Because I'm A Tiny Woman But I Have Enormous Authority In Myself.

I Was Always Trying To Make Up For My Size, To Compensate. So To Get People To Take You Seriously, You Have To Come At Things With A Great Deal Of Strength. You Have To Emphasize That The Way You Are Is Unusual. That You Don't Come Along Every Day.

For A While, I Thought, Maybe I Should Direct, Until I Got To New York And Saw The Stupidity Of That Idea. If It's Hard To Get Into Acting, What Is It Like For A Woman To Become A Director?

It Really Hit Home That My Parents Felt As Though They Didn't Have To Worry Anymore. They Realized If You Could Win An Oscar, That Was A Good Sign.