I aimlessly travel, meaning I have no agenda other than to get small in the world, be quiet and observe people.

I've had a great career. I've had a great life. I am truly blessed by my working experiences.

I hate to use this as a metaphor, but making movies is kind of like going to war. It's not - but the stamina required and what it takes to tell a story that is this big in scope, you need a general that will bring out the best in you.

I really enjoy what I do, and I'm very grateful to be given an opportunity to do it. That's one thing that people can say about me.

I have a bit of a bucolic kind of upbringing, and so I certainly bring an amalgamation of different people that I've met over the course of my life, especially before moving to Los Angeles, so I guess my childhood was my homework in a lot of ways for Harlan County.

But probably my favorite music, believe it or not, is sad music.

Maybe when you're alone or no one's looking, you dare to think, "Maybe someday I could get to work with somebody like Quentin Tarantino." For me, it happened. And it didn't just happen once, it's happened twice.