Of course, when you work on a character, you try to understand her. You feel that everything she does has a reason.

As an actor, you think you have to go really far and deep and cry and yell to be good in a scene. Sometimes that's not the point.

I tried to find a character and how I would be an American actress in the 30s. But if this was a talking movie [The Artist], I'm sure she would be exactly the same for me.

A character is never entirely white or black, there's never entirely right or wrong. You have to realize sometimes you face something, and then you change your mind, or then you realize you were wrong.

For us, as actors, and even for the director, it gave us a sense of authenticity to what we were doing because we were talking about Hollywood and we were in Hollywood.

I guess I'm the perfect young lead actress. I'm not Chloe Sevigny - I'm not really a character actress. Some actors have "character" faces.

Of course, when you work on a character, you try to understand her. You feel that everything she does has a reason.