Patricia Clarkson

… on meeting Shirley Wershba.
Well, I actually did get to meetmdash;best of allmdash;Shirley Wershba. And it was quite informative and a real treat just to meet her. The real thing. I found it very helpful and very exciting. Fortunately, women’s place in the news has drastically changed. You know, back then they were very much kept to the side and behind the scenes. But they did do real work. People relied on them for facts and they had real jobs. It’s just that you rarely saw them. And now that’s of course very different.

…on the artist’s role in culture.
I think that in terms of an artist’s role in popular culture, I think we may be the messenger but I think that we somehow have to be aligned with the message and I do try my darndest to do films that are important to me and that reflect my values, my thoughts, my wishes. And I am broke because of it… I think we are responsible and I think we do have to take the hit, take the praise, take whatever comes at us for what we do. I mean, obviously it was why I wanted to be part of this film and I just wish and hope there is demand for this. I always hope when I do some art film that there is some demand out there. I think it is growing. I do think it is changing.

…on being offered forty bucks by Clooney after claiming pauperism.
I really do need this because I think I made $800 shooting your film.