To put it simply - you know, a lot of people believe that the benefit of this job is fame and fortune. I believe that you pay for the fortune through the fame. I don't buy into the notion that being famous is somehow a good thing, or an exciting thing, or a wonderful thing. I think it's more cumbersome and more of a hindrance to your life than it is the other. But the fortune is fantastic. I'll take it, and I have no complaints. But it's not - you know, I didn't become an actress because I wanted to be famous. I didn't become an actress because this is the ultimate career goal of my life. I became an actress by accident. I was doing a psychological exercise with myself, challenging myself, by going to auditions. I had no idea that it would connect to a job. I had no intention for it to connect to a job. I was doing it as an exercise. So when I got a job, I, in that moment, had to sit down and go, "Do I want to be an actor?" Show less «

I feel like I'm in boot camp. On Lost (2004) - my first year was baptism by fire. I just was thrown in. And I had no idea what I was doing, not just on set, and not just as an actor, but as a public figure. I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to cope with it, and what the best ways were to manage it. I'm constantly learning that and therefore, in learning it, I knew I didn't want to - one of the first things I knew was, I don't want to have this beast become so big and uncontrollable that I am swallowed up by it. Show less «

Even if you're unhappy, just pretend that you're happy. Eventually, your smile will be contagious to yourself. I had to learn that, I used to think, 'I'm being fake,' but you know what? Better to be fake and happy than real and miserable. on her mindset. Show less «

I'm very picky when it comes to men. I come across a man who I'm really attracted to about once every five years. Show less «

I love being outside - that's where I'm the happiest.

[on adding feminine energy to characters in 'The Hobbit' film series] To his defence, Tolkien was writing in 1937. The world is a different place today. I kept repeatedly telling people that in this day and age, to put nine hours of cinema entertainment in theatres for young girls to go and watch, and not have one female character - it's subliminally telling them that 'You don't matter, you're not important and you're not pivotal to the story'. I think that they were very brave and very right in saying 'We won't do that to the young female audience that will come and watch our films'. And even for women my own age, I think it's time that we stop making stories that are only about men. I love that they make Tauriel a hero. Show less «