While we have a very strong popular culture, the roots of American culture are very shallow, and we put emphasis on how a movie does as far as the box office goes. Many years ago, it would have been vulgar to print box - office grosses in the paper. Now The New York Times does it, and it's the big story for people interested in arts and entertainment on Monday. Which is why emphasis has shifted away from filmmakers and fallen on movie stars and business people.

I don't want people to know anything about me, because that's not important. I'm more interested in the me that takes shape through the characters.

I pride myself on being fairly polite on a set so it's kind of a guilty pleasure to poke others on the set.

Socially, I like the idea of sitting in a theater with a bunch of people.

For every role, you have to always find a different way to approach it, one that's specific and suits what the key is. Every role's a mystery. I think if you know what it is, you probably shouldn't even do it.

In films you do a scene, you play around with it and unless you're doing a lot of reshooting, which no one has the luxury to do, you deal with the problem for a day and then you move on. On some level, it never allows you to go very deep into what performing is about.

I have some sort of affinity for compulsive behavior. The most interesting stories come up from the people on the outside.