A lot of times [in the movie industry], women are relegated to playing the wife or girlfriend or daughter.

I've always been fascinated by Japanese culture.

You're always homesick. There's always something about home that's special. But I'm not a things person. I'm not attached to my things.

Everything I am is because of my mom.

It used to be only on TV that women could lead, that a show could be based on a woman

I traveled and worked with amazing actors, like Andy Garcia, Alec Baldwin, Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker, Lee Pace. It was this great learning experience. And then, I started watching a lot of television. I was always in these foreign countries and I would get TV shows on DVD, and I started to realize that all of the amazing roles for women were on television. I was spoiled by Buffy because I thought that was the way it was everywhere, and it's not.

When I'm with my kids, I definitely try and be in the moment and wait till the end unless the mess poses a real danger, like slipping. But when I am cooking by myself, I definitely clean as I go to simplify.