Everyone has expectations. You just don't want to have them dashed, so you're quiet about them.

I think the word 'earnest' kind of has a negative connotation on some level. I think one of the things that's happened is that being cynical is somehow conflated with being sophisticated. I think that's problematic, to say the least.

The attitude of the director is really important, in terms of setting tone.

To write a story about New York that only deals with people in your age and socioeconomic bracket, that feels dishonest to me. So much of New York comes from everyone bumping into each other.

Knowing when to say something and when not to say something is important.

My trick is the trick that everyone knows: Work really hard and prepare.

I think a lot of Civil War stuff is written - As they say, history is written by the victors. And one of the things that I think is fascinating about this from a purely dramatic perspective is whether someone is right or wrong, you understand where they're coming from in this.