Using the energy in a scene can really cut the fat off of something and streamline it. It can make it work for you and activate it for you in a way.

I'm not someone who's an immigrant who's struggling in that way, but between New York and L.A., I had someone tell me very early on, "If you're going to be broke anywhere, it's better to be broke in L.A. At least the weather is nice." I was like, "You're right." I didn't take them up on that.

I've never had a plan, I've always done things from instinct.

There are a million little things, but one of the best ways to get to know characters is to just put them in situations and see what they say.

I think in theater the playwright is king. Those words are unchangeable. They are the reason that everything else flows from.

Noah Baumbach does more takes than any director I've ever worked with. He runs a very quiet set and he runs a very hard working set. He has such an intense level of dedication to what's happening that he cultivates a group of people around him who have an equal level of dedication. Nobody asks, "When is lunch?" That's just not part of our sets. It's complete immersion. He has a 'no cell phone' rule. Nobody checks their cell phone. Nobody reads on set. It's like, "If you're there, you're there. If you're not on board with that, don't work on this movie."

I like movies about women behaving badly, because women behave badly just like men, and we're not always adorable and cute about it.