I've always considered myself to be fiercely patriotic. I love Britain - its history and the down-to-earth attitude people have.

At the beginning of the 20th century the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music which was then considered as the noblest art.

The work of art just like any fragment of human life considered in its deepest meaning seems to me devoid of value if it does not offer the hardness the rigidity the regularity the luster on every interior and exterior facet of the crystal.

I'm enamored with the art world. Anytime you look at anything that's considered artistic there's a commercial world around it: the ballet opera any kind of music. It can't exist without it.

Art ought never to be considered except in its relations with its ideal beauty.

I mean why am I considered an 'it girl?' Because I'm in a lot of movies right now or am on the covers of magazines? I just hope there is something solid behind that. Because here's the thing with 'it girl' status. It's great and amazing that anybody is saying that at all. But how long does that last?

I would point out that I'm an actress for a reason! If I were popular in high school I would have considered another career because I wouldn't have been alone in my room making up other characters for myself. I definitely had growing pains. The popular kids didn't want anything to do with the girl who was starting the drama club.

Had the United States and the United Kingdom gone on alone to capture Baghdad under the provisions of the Geneva and Hague conventions we would have been considered occupying powers and therefore would have been responsible for all the costs of maintaining or restoring government education and other services for the people of Iraq.

Even from a very early age I knew I didn't want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.

High expectations weren't nurtured in my neck of nowhere back then - children weren't fawned over from an early age as 'gifted' and groomed for a prizewinning future self-esteem was considered something you had to pick from the garden yourself.

Why should 20-year-olds only be considered sexy? I think we get better with age.