Jul 1, 2008, 10:30 GMT
Maggie Gyllenhaal says becoming a mother has made her a better actress.
05/27/2008 - Maggie Gyllenhaal - Ben & Jerry's and Maggie Gyllenhaal Host "Bed-In For Peace" and Announce "Imagine Whirled Peace" Ice Cream Flavor in New York - Ben & Jerry's Times Square Scoop Shop - New York City, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos
The 30-year-old star - who appears alongside Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight' this summer - admits having daughter Ramona, now 20-months-old, with fiance Peter Sarsgaard has "deepened" her acting ability.
She said: "I think having a child changes everything and has deepened everything in my life. I think it has deepened my acting.
"It really does crack you open in every way. I never knew that I could be so tired. I never knew that I could work so hard. I never knew that I could love so much or be so patient or be so excited by the tiniest, tiniest little thing. Everything about it has surprised me!"
Maggie also revealed it was the uniqueness of 'The Dark Knight' script and calibre of her co-stars which finally inspired her to return to work following Ramona's birth.
She added to People magazine: "I do think that it's really difficult to get me away from Ramona. It's difficult to find a script that's good enough for me to think, 'OK, I really need to do this instead of being with my daughter.' "
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