Between Clive Owen winning at the Golden Globes and the British Academy announcing its nominations, of which Sideways received only one, I’m feeling pretty humbled these days

Well, I’m certainly glad that I was nominated for an Oscar. There is certainly a respect that comes with that nod. Also, a compliment that comes with it, too. Not that I really know what I’m doing. In a lot of ways I feel like some child on set, or like a kid that snuck in the back door.

The best thing about having my very first audition lead me to an Oscar nomination means that I don’t have to struggle the rest of my career to be nominated for an Oscar, to prove that I’m a great actress, because I’ve already done it. Now I can do things that just make me happy.

The difference today is that, in both parties, the very extreme elements control the nomination process.

It’s a question of methods. Everybody wants results, but nobody wants to do what they have to do to get them done.

Nobody calls me mister with my boots off.

Athletes become our heroes, because they’re superhuman. They do things nobody else can do. They’re better than 6 billion other people.

I do know there are a lot of people who seem to be in my corner, and that’s, of course, wonderful. I’m really more interested in the nomination than in the award, because I think the nomination just puts you within a group of outstanding actors.