Someone once told me it's more important what you turn down than what you take, and I think that rings true, especially when you're trying to make decisions about how you want to be viewed. It's hard, because I also want to have fun, and if there's a project that's super-small or low-budget or silly but it happens to have friends involved, I'll always take it, because my number-one priority is that I want to have fun with my career.

I would absolutely identify as a New Yorker by nature. I grew up in Detroit. There was not a bone in my body that even considered staying in Detroit for the rest of my life.

I'm not going to become anybody I don't want to become

The only thing I consciously avoid is playing the victim. I think women are portrayed as the victim in so many things, and I really like women with strength - although I feel now I may have gone overboard by playing so many strong, sassy women.

The funny thing is that I'm not a planner. I have no idea what I want to do in the interim of that 50 years, but I tell ya: That's where you'll find me in my last performance.

I'm empathetic to a fault. I really do - embarrassingly enough - tear up when someone squishes a bug in front of me.

I don't think there's anything immature about fighting for the underdog and fighting for people who don't have a voice. I have an intense desire to protect people who can't protect themselves.