You always are changed when you come back from summer camp.

Viola Davis keeps saying this movie should be called The Big Responsibility instead of The Help, because there were so many groups of people that you wanna do right by. You want to do right by Southerners and the African-American community and the readers of the book and the people that grew up with domestics and the people who worked as domestics. There's a million different groups that you're trying to please and satisfy that you're worried about not loving what comes across onscreen.

Between work and your kids and your spouse or whatever situation you have in your life. I think balancing all of that seems to be a huge situation.

You can always veer off the path, that's one thing that has really comforted me over the past year. When you think, 'I can't do something because of this, this and this,' you can actually do anything you want. I could go ballistic right now and tear this whole room apart. I could. I'm not going to, because logic is stopping me, but you can do whatever you want. You really can veer off any path at any time - never give up.

Drama is hard for me. Crying is much harder for me than laughter.

I do put on a little make-up every day because it helps me feel put together. Mascara is essential.

You have to have a thin skin. As a creative person, you have to. You can't get a thick skin.