'She's the kind of person that really does get up at five in the morning to go swimming. She wasn't at all prima donna-ish. She wasn't one of those people that want to be alone and sit in their trailer the whole time. I think she has much more of a sense of humour that people give her credit for. Too many people take that femme fetale stuff at face value.' Susan seidelman, director of Desperately Seeking Susan.

'Madonna is a colossus in the music industry and she is going to be considered an important historical figure as well. She is a fine singer, a fine songwriter …

'If people feel exploited by Madonna - that's resentment of someone who's got drive. It seems like you're leaving people behind or you're stepping on them, and…

'For the first time I saw Madonna when she first came out and she was on television talking and singing songs about her mother and how her mother had passed an…