People are just not impressed by me at home.

And this is what was fascinating to me about 'The Help'; they were ordinary people who did extraordinary things.

[Meryl Streep] just sent me an email, and I was like, "That's perfect." She was like, "Yes, Viola, now that you've just had your vow renewal...this is the best part of your life now. There's not anything that you don't know anymore in terms of what's good and bad out there, so now you can just fly." She's always imparting wisdom like that.

I don't think most people understand acting, even the people who call themselves savvy, even actors.

Each role has its own different challenges.

I don't have any time to stay up all night worrying about what someone who doesn't love me has to say about me.

Obviously, ["Fences"] is a character-driven piece in every sense of the word, and Denzel [Washington] knows the actor. He gave us two weeks of rehearsal. He is a truth teller, and he is a truth seer. So he knows when something is not going in the right direction, and he will call you on it. But, he knows the word to use to unlock whatever is blocking you. So I think he's fabulous and he's a teacher.