Martha Plimpton quotes:

It's long been accepted as fact that the availability of family planning services saves lives. Where women have access to these services, children and families are healthier, and society at large benefits.

It's not so weird that four generations are living together under the same roof and trying to make it work. It's how a lot of people in this country are living right now.

The '80s to me, more than anything else, represents a time of real criminal activity in the office of the president: an incredibly disparate economy in terms of the class distinctions and whatnot, and a tremendous shallowness - a lot of sort of bank robbery by executives.

The word 'equality' shows up too much in our founding documents for anyone to pretend it's not the American way.

I'm so sick of hearing how there's no strong roles for women. I don't care about strong roles. I just want to see women who are characters! A nun, a serial killer, a housewife, as long as there's some depth there.

A lot of people in this country right now are living with multiple generations under one roof, struggling to make ends meet.

It's long past time we started focusing on the solutions that actually keep women healthy, instead of using basic aspects of women's health as a tool of cultural, moral, and political control.

I've often said in the past that I thought MTV was sort of evil incarnate and signified the beginning of the end. And I don't know if I'm entirely wrong about that, but they did sign my paychecks a year ago, so I guess I'm part of the problem.

I am not a morning person. I like to sleep in.

I've had cats all my life and obviously loved them, but the litter box, and the having to always get a house sitter, they're just too - they're too rigid. Cats are too needy somehow.

It's easier to lecture women on sexual morality than it is to explain why all Americans shouldn't have comprehensive, fair, and equal health care coverage.

Women know the financial, social and physical costs of not having access to basic health care.

I'd just like to see a role for women where someone who isn't traditionally attractive is not portraying the best friend. You know, the character that only speaks in questions. 'Gee, are you gonna go out with him? Do you think I look fat?'

There are so many brilliant women on television right now.

It's not common for a woman on television, especially if she's the mom of the family, to be funny. She's usually a straight man or foil.

When you're working with good people it brings good things out in you.

Things come to you in life when you're prepared for them, when you're ready for them.

I feel comfortable in the presence of oddity. Probably because I'm a little bit odd.

I like cluttered, old, dark-wood antiques. I like character.

I want to be true to the character and maintain some consistency and give the audience what they love while at the same time keeping things fresh and grow the character.

I don't pay attention to the ratings.

I prefer to think of the audience as a single living organism with which I am sharing a singular, never-to-be-repeated experience.

I am a fierce patriot, and I try to be outspoken about my beliefs.

My mom and I used to listen to records, read, and take train rides across the country in the summer. It was a very chill life. She didn't expose me to anything that was ahead of my development, but she expected me to adjust to her world - she did not expect to adjust to mine.

My mom just didn't put a very high premium on me being like really famous or really wealthy or anything.

We don't want to come off as pro-smoking. Even though we didn't smoke real cigarettes at all, you want to be careful of people's sensitivities.

I would almost rather be in debt constantly than work with horrible people that I hate.

Things tend to come when they are meant to come. I know that sounds kind of like spiritual and cheesy, but I think things come when they're meant to come.

It's important to me if I'm having a good time than I feel like the work is better. The quality of it is better and my level of interest is higher.

I like cluttered, old, dark-wood antiques. I like character."

Women have always been at the forefront of progressive movements. Women can be depended on when you need bodies in the streets for women's rights and human rights.

Cigarettes are an instant signifier in culture. It punctuates a joke, or puts that extra zing on a punch line. I like them as a prop. I think it can be really useful for character and texture and contrast and all of that.

I love dogs because they're so adaptable.

Independent film is not only an oxymoron; it doesn't exist anymore.

People seem to think that you should be willing to speak to them whether they're jerks or not.

See, I don't watch reality television anymore. I watched a little bit of it for awhile, but I found it turned my soul into a black sludge, and I just did not find it healthy or good for me at all, because I would watch it and be disgusted, disgusted.

I wouldn't say Malkovich is totally insane, but he's not living in the real world. He's living in his world, which is a fine world to live in apparently.

I am a United States citizen and I vote.

Being nominated is the win. For me, being nominated is winning. It's just unbelievable.

I am not bored at all. I am not bored in the least.

Actors, they come and go, you know.

As an actress for most of my life, I am profoundly familiar with poverty.

At this point, I don't get hired a lot because people don't think I could finance a movie.

During my teen years, for Halloween, I went as a registered voter.

I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.

I don't know if I've learned anything about people, but I've learned about Twitter.

I don't like to get bored and don't like to repeat myself.

I hate those people who say 'I don't own a television' - I own one and I watch it whenever I can.

I just want to be clear, I am a very dark and bitter person, but I think on some level, everything really does come when it's meant to come.

I like things that are civilized.

I live like a crazy old pack rat.

I wasn't paraded around for sale at all. My mother wasn't into that.

I watch things that are fun, or funny, or interesting.

I wouldnt say Malkovich is totally insane, but hes not living in the real world. Hes living in his world, which is a fine world to live in apparently.

If I'm enjoying myself, I find my opportunities for more fun become greater.

I'm hoping maybe people like working with me because I like what I do for a living and I want to have a good time.

In the theater, as an actor, you're welcoming people into your house.

It's a very long and difficult schedule on a single-camera show.

It's an unusual situation for me to be working and making a living.

I've been doing old-people things since I was a child.

My mother had been an actress and we came from that world in New York, the theater world and the downtown sort of theater scene, and so I guess we didn't really have what you'd call like a Hollywood kind of life at all.

Once when we were fifteen, River (Phoenix) and I went out for this fancy dinner in Manhattan and I ordered soft-shell crabs. He left the restaurant and walked around on Park Avenue, crying. I went out and said, "I love you so much. Why?" He had such a pain that I was eating an animal, that he hadn't impressed on me what was right. I loved him for that. For his dramatic desire that we share every belief, that I be with him all the way

One comes to a decision based on what one wants, not based on what one doesn't want. Got it?

That's the thing about interviews, at some point you're going to change your mind. But it's there forever and you can't escape it.

There are an infinite number of ways to be moved in the theater.

Very often a job will come along that speaks to the place you're in as a person at that very moment. And usually once I've done it I feel like that part is over.

Who owns your body? You or the state?

Woke up this morning to the incredible news that I was nominated for an Emmy, and a shower full of dog poop. Apparently my dog is so excited, she has explosive diarrhea. I truly could not be more thankful to the Emmy voters for including me in this brilliant company of extraordinary women. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up an enormous amount of dog poop out of my shower. Yay!

You'll notice my eyes have sort of glazed over.