Patricia Heaton

As a child, I would put on shows in my neighborhood with friends and perform Barbra Streisand songs for my classmates.

My husband is always telling me I need to do less, do less, do less. But I feel like if I'm not being productive, I have a hard time relaxing and enjoying myself.

There's enough hard stuff going on in people's lives, and you really need that joy that laughter can bring. I don't have to put that in a Christian compartment.

I always know I'm going to lose my job. It's either going to be canceled next week or next year or nine years from now, but I always know my job is going to go.

I've always felt a spiritual connection with acting. And I felt whole when I was onstage.

I've found that people feel very free to say insulting things, not about me personally, but about the things I believe. It's sad, because I really could care less where people are coming from, politically, religiously.

I know the situations that we do every week are all ones that I encounter in my life or will encounter.

We only work four days a week, we only work three weeks out of the month, and we get four months off for the summer. So there's plenty of time for me to spend with the kids.

And I think I have a perspective about Hollywood that you don't see very often in the press.

And I started as a journalism major at Ohio State, ended up in theater and I love to read.

It's a little bit in the genes because my brother is a journalist and my father was a sports writer.

And I find it very easy to memorize the scripts, which are so close to conversations my husband and I have.

I'm always dissing Ray and making fun of him, talking about his money.

Again, I find it difficult to be taken care of and rarely acknowledge it, and every act he does registers, but I also just need to verbally acknowledge him and hug him.

You see people all the time who are on hit shows and then you never hear from them again.

I was not an easy kid.

My mother-in-law was with me during all four of my births and when she was sitting next to me holding my hand during the cesareans, well, I craved that.

When it comes to accepting emotional support or affection, I'm a little guarded and hardened to that.

I'm not good at accepting help.

I felt totally released from the need to make it as an actress. I had experienced complete fulfillment in something that had nothing to do with me being in the spotlight.