‘I’m just heartsick.’

Actress Mira Sorvino on director Peter Jackson’s statement that he didn’t cast her in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films because of what he now sees as a “smear campaign” against Sorvino and Ashley Judd orchestrated by Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax. Both actresses had reportedly rejected Weinstein’s sexual advances.

‘Leaving was tough, but staying would have been tougher.’

Andrea Sequiera, 29, on moving with her husband and son from Venezuela to Peru in order to escape hyperinflation and severe shortages of food and medicine in their socialist home country. “We know lots of people who would like to get out of Venezuela but can’t afford the ticket.”

‘If I can [still] run 3 miles four times a week, I’ll be running for reelection.’

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on whether he will run in 2022 at age 89. Grassley is one of eight U.S. senators over age 80—a record number.

‘We’ve lost some of our stars and lost none of our audience.’

Rupert Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, on the strength of Fox News’ ratings despite losing Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly. Ratings for Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN increased in 2017. Analysts credited the unpredictability of the Trump White House with attracting viewers to the news channels.

‘God does work in mysterious ways.’

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., noting that if he had not lost in August’s Republican U.S. Senate primary in Alabama to Roy Moore and Luther Strange, he wouldn’t have scheduled a physical examination with his doctor that revealed he had “high-risk” prostate cancer. Brooks, 63, underwent successful surgery in December.