[In New York,] when you say you're an actor, there's a certain level of respect that goes with that.

My thing is that if you don't really connect to something or see that it's going to be something you're going to be proud of, I wouldn't do it.

I grew up in the theater with my mom and that's how I knew I wanted to be an actor in the first place.

[In New York,] when you say you're an actor, there's a certain level of respect that goes with that.

I've realized that a lot of people go to see film or theater with a different expectation. I have a friend who's an actor and I can't stand watching movies with him because he never quite allows himself to just watch the story. He'll comment on the lighting, he'll comment on the [camera] angle. I'm not saying there's a wrong way to watch it - maybe that's helpful to him - but to me, you're getting way too caught up in the technical aspects.

My favorite films are when all of the technicalities are so seamless and so well done that I'm not thinking about them - you're able to go full-on into the story versus talking about edgy this moment was.

Shakespeare teaches you how to act. You come out of this process as a better actor. It's just the nature of the words he writes.