I think a lot of longevity, especially as a performer, depends on kind of what your commodity is. If your commodity is your cuteness and your chubby cheeks and your big gap between your teeth, if that's what your greatest asset is, of course that fails or that changes, you know, that goes away. Of course that fades.

As a consumer of entertainment, as a director, I'm always interested in questions of identity and who someone is and how they're perceived and who they are versus who they thought they'd be.

I am an English major in school with an emphasis in creative writing. I think hearing Maya Angelou speak at school last year was one of the best moments Stanford, at least, intellectually, had to offer.

I would suggest maintaining a life and a career outside the Industry. This is a fickle business and a lousy one to make a steady living in, so it's important to have a good family, friends, job and education to fall back on.

Maybe part of loving is learning to let go.

Other acting opportunities had come along, but nothing that was tantalizing enough to me to step away from what I found most interesting.

I think Kellie Martin, Reese Witherspoon and Claire Danes represent the future for women in film, and I would be honored to share the stage with any one of them.