Sissy Spacek: I’m not sure I’m gifted

Sissy Spacek would rather be average in a great film than brilliant in a dull one.

The 65-year-old actress has won an Oscar and been nominated on five other occasions, proving she knows a thing or two about choosing winning roles. Sissy's pretty modest about that though, explaining her philosophy has always been simple.

"I don't know if I have any gift. I think a lot of it is dumb luck," she told Total Film magazine. "I try to work with extremely talented directors. I've always thought it's better to be mediocre in a great picture than great in a mediocre picture. Film is a director's medium."

Sissy feels lucky to have worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, among them Terrence Malick, Brian De Palma and Michael Apted. There is a common thread which joins them all, which is also something the star feels passionate about when making movies.

"They're artists. They're not thinking about what's going to sell, or how big their trailer is - just how to make the best film," she said. "Great directors rattle your cage and get different things out of you. I was really lucky early on. I was basically untrained and I was kind of at the right place at the right time. "

Having been nominated for so many Academy Awards and countless other prizes means Sissy knows a thing or two about attending glitzy ceremonies. While they are fun they also come with a certain level of anxiety.

"It's always a little awkward! It's exciting and does great things for your career but how do you dress for a billion people?" she laughed.