I would say 'The Master' was one of the most inspiring things I've ever got to work on.

I've always laughed at the term "female director" or even "black director." A director's a director.

I'm very fortunate to have the privilege of working with directors like Bill Condon and Paul Thomas Anderson, who I think is one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

I can listen to the same song back-to-back for two to three hours straight. I'm not psycho; I swear. There are some songs I won't listen to any more because they are songs that helped me get to emotional places. Even if I hear it, I'll have to walk out of the room or turn it down. It sounds so strange but those things affect me in a certain way.

I do it when I'm a preparing for a role quite a bit - I sit with music. It helps influence the discovery of something. Then sometimes during filming I like to listen to the same things. It brings me back to a place where I just feel more creative and focused.

Mara Casey gave me my first job. I saw something online, and it was for a part in a "Gilmore Girls" episode, and I thought I was right for it.

My sister is an ER doctor and my brother is a teacher.