One of the more noble things the Oscars can do is pay attention to movies no one knows about. Blockbusters don't need much help.

I have done all of the genres, and the dramatic role is my favorite.

Give me good writing, and I'll play it all day.

Every actor just wants good writing.

There are so many projects that you go into hoping the story works, and here comes a new third act and that kind of thing.

There is no best anything in art. Phillip [Hoffman] isn't better than Heath [Ledger]; Joaquin [Phoenix] isn't better than David [Strathairn] or Terence [Howard]. They aren't better than me. We all do different things. It's more of a celebration of a lot of great work than to give the gold to somebody. The underappreciated factor certainly has gone away.

The indie world changed when the economy went south. I was frustrated with doing something, then waiting for it to come out, and sometimes it never did, or would just play in New York for 50 people. So I really wanted to try something else.