I had learning disabilities, and I couldn't express myself in the written word.

What people can survive and what they don't survive is shocking to me. Someone can go to Iraq and be blown to bits and survive. Someone can trip and fall on the street and they die - that's that.

My castings sort of go in phases. There'll be several icy professional parts - a lawyer or a cop. And then there'll be the intelligent-but-wounded group and then the period things. It goes in sequence.

The basic laws of good acting are the same, but everything about the experience is different-your job responsibility, the time you spend on it.

Traits like humility, courage, and empathy are easily overlooked - but it's immensely important to find them in your closest relationships.

I think the way we talk about cancer has really evolved. I remember the way my grandmother used to talk about it, like a death sentence, no-one would even mention the word.

For me to have the opportunity to stay with one character for, God willing, a long period of time, is really exciting.