My mother missed having dinner with Lyndon Johnson because she couldn't find the right hat to wear. While my father went off to the white house to break bread with the President, my mother, who's not a things and stuff person, stayed at the hotel and tried on 10 different hats and missed dinner.

There is no doubt that directing television has helped hone my directing skills. What television teaches you is to be efficient and to think on your feet. You have to adhere to strict deadlines and budget constraints.

In making certain things easier for people, technology has actually demotivated people from using their brains. We have all these devices that keep us connected, and yet we’re more disconnected than ever before. Why is that?

You make a film and you don't know who it's going to appeal to.

I used to Google my name to see what came up - it hurt.

Writing is a lonely job, unless you're a drinker, in which case you always have a friend within reach.

I probably grow half my food. It's a good way to keep perspective.