Quotes by Joan Cusack

“You know, I loved math. My mom was a math teacher.”

“Every week its another opportunity to really make that work and figure out how to make it work better. And I love that its like theater, too, and the audience, and its so short. Its only 20 minutes. Its like a haiku or something.”

“Well, were all actresses. Weve got that going. Were all gals in our late thirties and early forties, and Frances McDormand and Catherine Keener have kids, and the director has kids, so we all have that, you know, and then everyones kind of their own kind of person. It was fun for me to be around other actresses that were interesting, because I dont get that.”

“Peep and the Big Wide World.”

“Its not really about money. Its about being centered. Money is kind of a symbol of how you are in your life and how youre going to be centered.”

“You dont have to make $20 million every time you make a movie.”

“Can they do both? Thats a huge balance, I think, with kids- trying to find the right- its everything, you know, its social life, its academics, its sports.”

“Im taking the time to figure it out and making sure Im with my son in the morning, and Im getting him breakfast before he goes to school. It just takes a lot of energy, but doing a television show is such a great life for an actor, and thats why I wanted to do it, because its hard if every time you work you have to go to a different city, when you dont live and work in the same place.”

“I love Chicago. Its such a great town, and its got great culture and great history, and its not as extreme as LA or New York, and its just- its hard for me for work, because I dont live and work in the same place and thats tough. But Im- I love it.”

“I play- its kind of like a slice-of-life, LA women in their forties, playing forty kind of whats their friendship like, and whats their life like and so I just play one of the four friends.”

My dad was a very funny man - hes the one who taught me life would be awfully hard without humor! Im sure his Irish wit in some way influenced my decision to become an actress.

I take parenting incredibly seriously. I want to be there for my kids and help them navigate the world, and develop skills, emotional intelligence, to enjoy life, and Im lucky to be able to do that and have two healthy, normal boys.

You know, I loved math. My mom was a math teacher.

You know, I think Im more of a micro-person, so to me, the context and the framework of trying to do what you love and feel passionate about, in supporting your family in that way, is the most important thing to me.

I play- its kind of like a slice-of-life, LA women in their forties, playing forty kind of whats their friendship like, and whats their life like and so I just play one of the four friends.

I cant imagine being a single parent or a single parent that doesnt have a lot of money. Thats a big, huge impact on your life and your dynamic and everything - I mean, thats huge. It affects how much you have a break from just concentrating on just one other person in your life. It becomes so myopic that way, and more intense, probably.

A relationship is hard in and of itself. And having kids is really hard work, but I think its really meaningful, as is a relationship. But they all take work.

I think theres nothing better than laughing in life, so thats nice, to be thought of as someone who can make someone laugh. Its cause I think life is hard. You know, my dad was a really silly man. A great Irish silly man. And thats fine.