I know what it means to be Jewish, and I don't think someone who wasn't Jewish would really understand.

I don't really look around and say, 'I've made it.' I just look around and think how fortunate I am to work with the people I'm working with.

I don't get the jitters and I don't get nervous, because I build that comfort on set for myself. Sometimes if I'm gonna do something really crazy, it helps me to yell or look like an idiot on set, so that when I'm about to do a scene, I've already embarrassed myself. I find ways to work around getting the jitters.

I'm in a position where - I mean, not a lot of people are in a very fortunate position - where I kind of have the power to choose what I want to do in a way.

Fun. I'm not the kind of guy kids picked on in school, but I've seen it happen. I've never really given much thought to being cool. I don't really think about it one way or the other.

A lot of times I'm on my own trying to find research material and things like that and trying to educate myself on the world and the film that I'm working on.

I started working with James [Schamus] early on, and my role as an executive producer was more about being involved in the conversations of putting the film together. I didn't have to do much work because James is the most experienced first-time director you could imagine.