Am I lonely? Yes. Am I upset? Yes. Am I confused? Yes. Do I have my days when I've thrown a little pity party for myself? Absolutely. But I'm also doing really well. I'd be a robot if I said I didn't feel moments of anger, of hurt, of embarrassment... [but] You joke and say, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.

Being "America's Sweetheart", that label gets put on a lot of people. I don't pay that much attention. And I'm not trying to shake anything. I'm just following my instincts and doing work that is coming to me and I'm just grateful for it.

I'm sprouting more than one wonderful grey hair.

You hit the wall almost right when you get up to the top. If there's a female writer being suggested to do a rewrite on a script, it's always the big boys going, "Mm, let's go with [a man]..."

I think there comes a point where you have to grow up and get over yourself, lighten up…and forgive

The ultimate is finding a place where you have no inhibitions, nothing to hide, where you can learn with one another.

Where would you be without friends? The people to pick you up when you need lifting? We come from homes far from perfect, so you end up almost parent and sibling to your friends - your own chosen family. There's nothing like a really loyal, dependable, good friend. Nothing.