We’re all women. We all have the same wonderful situations happen to us, the same horrific situations. We all get our hearts broken.

When we were trying to find the woman to play Maura Isles, it was a no-brainer when Sasha came in. We just knew it was her, and she did such a fantastic job. She got the job, right then and there, in the room, and it was great. We actually played a little joke on her. She's a great lady and we've had a really, really fantastic time.

I pray every day for my little girls. It's hard out there for the younger generation.

~My children are my life ... It's not like I don't have my own wants and and dreams anymore - it's just that the kids come first.~

I don't want to be unapproachable.

I learned a long time ago that it doesn't make me less of a woman because my babies come out of a different place. My C-sections have been fine.

Also, there's the caliber of actors that we keep getting. Lorraine Bracco plays my mom and Chazz Palminteri plays my father, and Brian Dennehy and Donnie Wahlberg have been on the show. And, we've got Billy Burke from Twilight. We've gotten all kinds of fantastic actors. That speaks for itself.