I was debating whether to do Legally Blonde, and I saw this interview with Gloria Steinem about how important Goldie Hawn's role in Private Benjamin was for women; by the end of the movie, the character socked her fiancé in the face at the altar because he didn't understand who she'd become through her journey. I was like, "I feel like Gloria Steinem told me to do Legally Blonde. That's how Elle Woods is too!"

I thought I was going to go back to Stanford, and then I got Election. I loved being an actor.

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

I'm at a point in my life where I could make 20 more movies, but I want to make 20 more movies that matter to me.

I read while the kids play. I can see them from the kitchen window. And I'm a fast reader.

Exploring female rage on film doesn't frighten me - it might frighten a lot of people in my business, but, gosh, I know a lot about that, from personal experience and friends' experiences.

God, America is a country predicated on listening to everybody. When did we stop listening to one another?