I'm encouraging these women, like Cheryl Strayed, to take the jump to writing for the screen. She is adapting her book Tiny Beautiful Things for us. They're infinitely capable of tackling the format.

It's important to do things that scare you to death!

Many people worry so much about managing their careers, but rarely spend half that much energy managing their LIVES. I want to make my life, not just my job, the best it can be. The rest will work itself out.

You do the best you can. But it's hard. When I find things egregiously misrepresentative of women, I'll make a point to say to my son, "Turn that off. I don't want to see women behave that way.

Art is art. Television has elevated itself, in certain ways, but it's always pushed people's consciousness.

But like Elle Woods, I do not like to be underestimated.

I have a history, a long history of being stereotyped as a five-foot-two woman, which is very limiting. I've worked so hard to create characters that have dignity. And I think everybody knows that I have a very pro-woman message in my work - and in my life.