Mary McDonnell quotes:

We never know all the facts and the more we're mindful of how we deal with people, the more opportunity we have to evolve.

It is really wonderful for me to understand that there are times in life when your job, and the excellence of your job, requires to not be - have the comfort zone of being popular.

With BSG, sci-fi is the human experience taken beyond the envelope. When I first became involved with the project, I knew that I would be able to play a human being for many years, exploring and reflecting on issues that would impact people's lives.

Well, I don't know what Ron has in mind, but I do know about the arc of the show. Looking at how intuitive and instinctive Eddie and I play, that is the sort of thing that leads into sexual chemistry. I wouldn't be surprised if it emerged.

I think that in a general sense, the idea of getting comfortable with the truth in life is uncomfortable.

We have to get back to the beauty of just being alive in this present moment.

That moment was very important because it was political. That's what has to be done, so they struck a deal. She figures his is a well-thought-out motivation that she felt was worthy trade-off. The motivation here is survival, and she has to think like a leader.

Actors are part of a certain percentage of people on this planet who have an emotional vocabulary as a primary experience. It's as if their life is experienced emotionally and then that is translated intellectually or conceptually into the performance.

The Cylons are such a frightening concept - not knowing who is real. No way.

I love the idea of a woman being able to discover the idea of power this way, on such a scale. And I don't know about that, what it means - well, I guess I'd better, or my part's in trouble.

I do think that it's extremely important with this character show her assuming power with a great deal of grace, and find out how to do things she won't like - the things she's called upon to do.

Ron allowed us to see right away the private piece of a person about to become very public. I suspect we're going to see more of her very private world - Laura's private experience. I'm not sure yet how public she's going to be about the actions she's going to have to take.

It's phenomenally important to me that, if I'm going to be spending years on a project, I need to be interested in the whole thing. I'm not there to be on my own. And if I'm going to be with these people, I'd best be interested in their work.

For me, as an actress, one of the most essential things that I need to know is what do I want for and from the people around me in the story.

I love to work. I love to have complexity.

It's really important for actors to feel that they're more than something for hire.