I wanted to act; that was my one goal. I wanted to devote all my time to acting and not waitressing or anything else.

Coming home to my family afterward makes the work richer, easier and more fun.

But I've always been hard to cast, I've never been an ingenue, I've never been the romantic lead. I'm an actor; give me the script and I do what I do and hope it's good.

We're living in a time when parenting is not at all mirroring the way I was parented. For me, I just followed my parents around on their errands; when they were busy on the phone, I was quiet. It's a different kettle of fish these days: They run the house, and you listen to their music, and you go to their appointments.

There's a little good and bad in everyone. Everybody I've ever loved is very complicated.

I've never been all that interested or aware of what people are thinking about me or saying about me. I think that has kept me safest and sanest.

I think that you do get a little extra jolt of confidence when you win an Emmy.