A friend of mine described it this way: When they were born it was like a meteor landed in our house and blew everything apart. We had to just put all the pieces back.
After doing so many different roles, if you don't stretch yourself, there's no excitement left.
Also, I thought the writing, on Chicago Hope in particular, was far superior to a lot of the feature-film scripts that I had been getting anyway.
And that's why I chose on purpose not to have a death scene. We've seen them in a million movies and it's too much like cranking the tears out. I didn't want that scene.
As long as I can find complex parts, whether on stage, film, or TV, I'll keep doing that. It's really what I am.
Both of the main characters in My First Mister remind me of Sylvie. I'm very attracted to people who are not in the mainstream, people who are on the edges, lonely people I guess.
Competition is very good... as long as its healthy. It's what makes one strive to be better.
I also do push-ups when I can, but I normally don't work out my upper body except when I'm lifting my kids, which usually is enough!
I am an actress and acting is my passion... period!
I demanded two weeks of rehearsal because to me as an actor, that's the most important time.
I don't want to fight aging; I want to take good care of myself, but plastic surgery and all that? I'm not interested.
I enjoyed Ghost World, though, but didn't really sit there comparing it to my films; I just enjoyed it for what it was.
I had directed a short film, but basically I'm a student in how to use the camera to tell the story, so I really needed that rehearsal.
I had the passion to become one, since I was a young girl and was always active in theatre and other forms of stage work.
I like to take up something that is challenging. I like to stretch myself.
I loved the stage and then grew to love the camera.
I most often land up taking up the roles that I most detest.
I think all industries are sexist in nature and I don't think the film industry is any different.
I try to eat low-fat, but once a week I'll have a major dessert or an oily pasta. Mostly I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken and fish.
I used to take my work home with me before I had children. I don't do that now; I do my work and never bring the character home.
I wanted to be an actress. In college I was a serious feminist and very political. I was determined to get one thing out of my career and that was respect. I didn't want money. I didn't care about fame.
I was a fighter and very determined. There was no way I was going to back out without winning.
I was a gypsy my whole life, until I did this series. For the first time I can stay home. The studio's only 20 minutes from my house.
I would take up any small job on the sets, just so that I could hang around with the hope of getting noticed.
I'm more proud of quitting smoking than of anything else I've done in my life, including winning an Oscar.
I'm still so challenged by this mothering thing. It is so incredibly wild and interesting, and fulfilling... everything.
It was not really a career choice that I had to make. It was something I knew right from the beginning. I had to be an actress... period.
Its nice to be recognized and receive accolades for the work that you have done.
Its only when you are a great actor and are recognised for your good work that you become famous. Unless you are in the news for the wrong reasons!
Movie makers are now finding roles that are more apt to older actresses. They see the talent and they want to put it to best use.
My heart's in really great shape thanks to spinning classes.
Sure I faced the troubles and challenges that most actors and actresses face until they get noticed, but I was always confident of myself and my capabilities.
Television really does offer still great parts for women, cable in particular.
The Book of Ruth is based on the Jan Hamilton's novel. While reading the novel, what excited me about Maylene was that she was a classic sort of villain.
The crossover wasn't happening. TV actors were TV actors, and film and stage actors were a whole different thing. And now there's just a lot of crossover.
Theatre is more exciting in the sense that you can actually see the audience in the eye. You know there are no takes and retakes. You have one chance to do your job... and you better do it well!
There's nothing wrong with playing an earnest mom once. But it gets really boring.
What was exciting was to really go beneath the surface and see what makes a person insulting, mean and abusive... especially to ones own child.
When I was first starting out, if you were acting on television, it was a real stigma.
When I'm not working, my time is really about my children.
You know what's weird is that we all parent the way we were parented. Sometimes I find myself saying just the things I hated to hear my mother say.
When Christine was a little girl, she participated as a tree in a school play and as Virgin Mary in a Christmas pageant.
Christine's favorite films are "Housekeeping" and "Running on Empty"; on stage, "Summer and Smoke", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "The Heidi Chronicles".
Lahti is active in political causes.
Lahti appeared on Broadway in Wendy Wasserstein's play, "The Heidi Chronicles".
Christine worked as a waitress and did commercials in New York City.
Christine received her bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Michigan.
She is married to director Thomas Schlamme of The West Wing fame.
Christine was in the bathroom when she won her Golden Globe in 1998. She now makes light of this whenever presenting or receiving an award. In 1999, she purposely presented for the Golden Globes with a piece of toilet paper attached to her shoe.
You can share a link to this page with your friend!