In all my years as an actress, I have only criticized two actresses with whom I have worked. The first is Miriam Hopkins and the second is Faye Dunaway, whose name is most appropriate. Several times I wished I could have “Dun-away” with her.

If I had always been the obedient little daughter that the Great Fathers of Hollywood wanted me to be, perhaps I would have escaped the personal tragedy and unhappiness that stalked me for 20 years.

Listen, you no-talent third-rater, you ought to go down on your knobby knees in gratitude that you’re directing a Bette Davis picture!

Do I believe in life after death? No, I think we have our heaven and hell on earth, but I know that there is something.

Women are raised to feel guilt far too easily! We are taught that to be 'shameless' is the worst thing, but it isn't until one loses one's shame that one is really free.

If they’d given me half an Oscar I would have thrown it back in their faces. You see, I’m an Aries. I never lose.

While I deeply appreciate approbation of my work by fans, I always feel inadequate to the awe manifested by some. I want to say, I’m a human being just like you. Is it any wonder that many stars come to believe they are divinities?

As far as I was concerned, I was through. Fourth Warner Brother—I feared if I saw my siblings again, I’d commit fratricide.

One of the passions of my life of course was Anna Magnani.

B.D. thought I was going to die. That's why she wrote that book—but I fooled her!

Hepburn can be fey. I can't. I don't like ruffles and scarves and all that sort of crap. Helen Hayes is ALL RIGHT. But, I've never cared for her very much, you know.

Before jane, Joan and I had long conversations about our characters, so by the time we started shooting—and remember we shot the whole damn thing in a month—we knew the relationship between the sisters pretty well.

I burned all my love letters, and anything else that I thought was none of anyone's business.

I decided to do my own makeup for Baby Jane. What I had in mind, no professional makeup man would have dared to put on me. One told me he was afraid that if he did what I wanted, he might never work again.

I am extremely vulnerable. To disapproval. Each year you are more nervous because you have more reputation to lose. It is harder to keep a reputation than to get it. You have more pride about not letting people down.

I have worked since I was in my teens, and Sunday was my one day off—I was not about to give it up to get dressed and go to church.

The studio audience howled when I repeated, with undisguised glee, how the moguls would not invest in those “two old broads.” In due time, I received a letter from Joan, telling me never to refer to her as an old broad again.

Even as a young girl, with the Bible, I could not believe the script! It all sounded absolutely wildly illogical—you had one fish and fed the multitudes?

We called our house “Witch-way” because we didn’t know which way we were going and a witch lived there—guess who?

But stars today all look like bums and tell everything. The public gets disappointed. There should be an air of mystery.