I'm so grateful that I was raised by a mother who really instilled in me that my moral compass and achievements all had to come from a real place that had nothing to do with my beauty or how I looked. That was very big for her.

Everyone always says, 'Kristen got 'Panic Room' because she looks like Jodie Foster.' But it was actually Nicole Kidman who was supposed to play my mother.

I think the way I approach things has something to do with growing up and seeing my parents go to work every day.

I'm so not a performer, my drive to do [acting] is so different to other people - and I'm not discrediting that, they're born performers, they're people that you love to watch just be themselves. I like to be a little bit more in control. I like to make something.

My family is just embarrassingly proud of me. My brothers get a little protective... overly protective. I've made rules now where I say: "You can't go outside and scream at people if they have cameras!"

I have some friends who are actors. I've watched them work. And I would say that of all the arts, acting is the most grueling, thankless. Never apologize for your work.

If you look at the actual movies that I've done, the whole struggle is to get to that point, so it's not something that you just have so easy . . . But it's okay. It doesn't bother me. I've done okay so far.