I think being mean to people in high school is healthy. It's sort of like you're in this situation with all these other kids and sometimes you need to get your aggression out. And if you'd had people be mean to you before, it really does build character.

On Masters of Sex, especially in the pilot, everybody was showing up word-perfect, and youre expected to show up word-perfect.

It's weird, It's really weird to be called a breakout star. And some people are referring to my show as the new 'Friends', which I can't really even wrap my head around

I try to bring elements of my own personality to every character I've played, but I think I'm pretty similar to the character I'm playing now. The biggest departure would have to have been Freaks' and Geeks Sara, who was this sort of subordinate and shy girl.

I'm still waiting to hit it big. But there was the moment when I didn't have to work at the restaurant anymore, which is the milestone for every actor. When your job is just to be an actor and not to have to do anything else.

I'm extra harsh on pilot scripts, which is difficult because pilots, generally, are not that great. You have to imagine the whole series instead of just that one script, and I have a really hard time doing that.

I feel lucky because most of my friends aren't married. So I don't feel that, 'oh, step on it, you're thirty.'