Quotes

My mother was against me being an actress - until I introduced her to Frank Sinatra.

No question - the more powerful men are, the more sexy they are.

When I started shooting Police Woman (1974), someone asked me if I had ever played a sleuth before. I said, "Yes, many times." I thought they were asking me if I had ever played a slut. I didn't know what a sleuth was.

I dress for women, and undress for men.

[on her initial reaction to the screenplay for Dressed to Kill (1980)] I was like "I can't do this, I'm 'Police Woman'!".

[When asked on Celebrity Poker Showdown (2003) what making Ocean's Eleven (1960) was like] Oh, it was wonderful. And I remember most of it.

I'm not a feminist: I'm for women, but I'm not against men.

I miss Nikki so much, but [committing suicide] was her decision. The world was too harsh a place for her.

[on Dressed to Kill (1980)] I'm sorry I didn't try to go for an Academy Award for that role. I think I could have won it. But the studio didn't want to put up the campaign, and I felt that I didn't want to go for a supporting-actor award, because I'd always thought of myself as the lead, even though by then I wasn't getting starring roles. I regret it now. Of course, De Palma is to blame for the great performance.

I don't want to be unkind to Burt, because I'm very respectful of him, as a person and an artist, as a former husband and as a father to Nikki, but he had no real connection with her. She was too difficult for him, but it was his loss. He put her in a hospital, and it was the worst thing you can do. He had the wrong goal in mind: he thought that she was just a difficult child, and I was just a terrible mother, indulging her. He didn't know there was actually a syndrome. He thought, "Just get her away from Angie's indulgence and she'll shape up." But, of course, the doctors didn't have a clue. He does regret it, and he has said, "I'm terribly sorry. Had I known, I never would have done that."

[on meeting Bill Clinton at a Democratic fundraiser] I was standing next to Suzanne Pleshette on the receiving line, and as he got closer, I said to her, "My God, I'm beginning to sweat!" And then he was in front of me, bigger than life, and so great-looking. He said when he met me, "At last!"

I think [my father] was one of those sad people who didn't get what he wanted in life.

[asked about "the rumors" concerning herself and President John F. Kennedy, 2012] Oh my God! What have I gotten myself into?

[on Larry King Live (1985) in 1987] I don't feel important. I do at the moment, because I'm here with you. But the last few years I haven't. And I have no reason to feel important.

[on starring alongside John Wayne in Rio Bravo (1959)] To get a part with him, it's just something that you never even dream of. And in a decent role!

I have played mother roles, of course, and I have played grandmother roles, of course. But I like them to be a little bit bizarre or something. I love outrageous. But just to be a square mother is not for me.

Frank Sinatra had no choice but to let it all hang out.

I never really felt like a movie star until Police Woman (1974).

[on her film career] I was a leading lady, but never the lead.

[Who commented if she was serious about acting anything else after 2009]: Betty White jokes are just not for me. I am not looking for work, I don't really care. I've had my day in the sun, and I am very content.

[When asked if she was retired from acting, beginning in 2009]: I don't want to do grandmother parts. I'd rather stay home. That's not fun. Movies are too hard when it's not rewarding. If stage weren't so hard, I would do stage, because I do love acting and I love performing and I'm a ham. I've also considered going on the road with a one-woman show, which I would love, but I'm not fooled. It's too hard-all that travelling. It's different for a woman too. You forget about what we do to look good.

I still am one. I was 10 when I left Kulm, N.D. I had a wonderful childhood there, out playing in the mud. We moved to California then, but I still went to Catholic school, didn't grow up very sophisticated or very liberal, you know, you can't deny where you came from. It's one of the things that makes you who you are.

I was on this job (as a secretary) in Burbank at this airplane seat factory and I was in an unhappy marriage. ... The workers at the factory said, 'Hey, there's a (beauty) contest at NBC' - which was not so far from the factory - so I stopped by after work and I was one of the winners. One of the judges on the panel worked for Jimmy Durante, who was on 'The Colgate Comedy Hour.' He said, 'Would you like to be on the show?' And I said, 'I can't act.' And he said, 'If you can walk, do you want it?' I went to rehearsal, where Jimmy Kimmel (now) tapes ... and Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra were rehearsing a number. And that injected me with a dose of 'Oh, my God,' and from then on I never wanted to leave show business.

[About her on- and off-screen friendship with Frank Sinatra]: You could feel the whole room change when Frank walked in. Working with him taught me a lot. What, exactly - that's a harder question. They're not always obvious lessons. But when you're with a great performer, it raises your game. You pick things up, you already know the basics - learn your lines, be on time. But I know a lot of people who can learn their lines and be on time, and I'm still not interested in watching them. There's more to it than that.

[When she changed her mind about writing her book]: I realized no one else can do it. I actually thought of doing an audio-only book and I may still try for that.

[Who said about her starring role on Police Woman (1974)]: When I was up for a role, I didn't compete with men; it was a role for a woman. I was content with what they gave me.

The romantic love of my life I'm sure was Burt Bacharach. I had a few that were wonderful, but I married him and that's going pretty far. Even though it didn't work out I don't pine or wish for anything more today by any means. But the reality is, at the time, it was a pretty great romance.

[When asked as to how she felt about [Ralph Edwards]'s death]: I was shocked. I would never do that show. Twenty years earlier Burt (then-husband Burt Bacharach) said they wanted me for the show. If you help them, I'll kill you. He (Edwards) came backstage and couldn't have been kinder and more understanding. It never occurred to him that anyone would not want to have his life story told. He wondered, maybe there were others, he wondered, who felt the same way?

[about other females getting lead roles for television] It paved the way because it was the first. It also had the title 'Police Woman,' and more significantly it premiered on a Friday night, where young girls could stay up later and get the role model part of it. Also younger boys were fans as well, I guess for different reasons.

[Who was very disappointed about [Donald Trump]'s run for President in 2016]: I have no hearing for that question, and 'Oh, My God,' he just makes a fine TV show ending, and he's just fine as a 'Leader of The Pack of Idiots.' No, he's fine in his game where he belongs, but he's not where he belongs.