The auditioning process is one in which the actor gets very little information about almost every element of it.

I was alone a lot as a kid, because my parents were divorced.

I'm very political. Because I read politics every day, so I'm familiar with the world. I approach the films is I'm trying to write what is true, so that supersedes partisan spin, in my opinion. I find partisanship is a thing for cable news and newspaper articles, but it's not interesting for art. I think we all believe what we believe, and I don't think a film is going to change someone's mind.

I don't see myself directing things I don't write because, to me, directing was just an extension of the writing process.

Idealism loses to pragmatism when it comes to winning elections.

I took a lot of writing courses.

I find that when people get a script, they know within five pages if the writer can write. Once you're five pages in, it doesn't matter whose name is on the cover, you're not even thinking about it.