The people green-lighting films or TV series often want household names, but the smart ones realize that there are lightning rods who can make things happen, and they aren't necessarily the ones who are celebrated.

The great thing about television is that you get to tell, like with "The Walking Dead", 16 hours worth of character-driven storytelling in less time than it takes to make a feature film. So, it really is a medium at least for storytellers who are passionate about not only the genre but also the character-driven genre stories. It's probably a better medium.

The truth is there's so many great TV shows out there now that none of us take absence of awards personally. The most important feedback is the feedback we get from the fans.

If you don't know what you're being asked to do, make sure you clarify. I think people in every business are afraid to ask questions.

Generally I try to be on set as much as possible, especially during the early part of a season. I read all of the outlines and scripts and look at the auditions and the cuts for my other shows and give notes on all of that. There's a lot to do, but I enjoy nothing more than being on set because that's where the magic happens.

A key ingredient to success, I learned, is relying on not only the kindness of strangers, but the kindness of colleagues.

I think there is nothing that can replace your emotional response. The biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life are when people told me, "You really should produce this. It's a guaranteed hit." I would read the material and I would go, "I don't get it, but okay, I'll produce it." You're giving up that much of your life, your time with family and friends, to something that you're not really committed to - and they did not pan out the way everyone said they would, even though I worked just as hard.