I think with the smaller-scale projects, the burden for success falls more squarely on the shoulders of the actors and the director and the script.

I've got nothing against big-budget values. I mean, I was very proud of The Avengers, the part that I played in it, albeit a small one. It was thrilling to be part of it. But it's so huge that you can never really wrap your mind around it.

I think with the smaller-scale projects, the burden for success falls more squarely on the shoulders of the actors and the director and the script.

My grandfather was from outside of Moscow, and my grandmother, although some of her family were French, was from Odessa. They met as immigrants in New York in the early '20s. My mother's family came over from Ireland generations ago.

I think most people in the developed world would admit to carrying some sort of handheld device, whether it's a laptop or a cell phone, at all times.

Shakespeare is the Joss Whedon of his generation.

I think we're all fascinated and a little mystified by how the brain works. One of the most mysterious of the physical sciences is neurological science.