We all have our essential nature. If you're good with numbers, you don't even know you're good with numbers because that's how your mind works.

I think most actors jump at the chance to do something where the camera's on them all the time.

Wildlife was the only thing we've written together with Paul Dano. It's based on a book by this author Richard Ford, who just published a memoir about his family that's really wonderful. Paul fell in love with his book, and we optioned it ourselves, and he took a first pass at writing it. He asked me for notes, and then our note session devolved into an argument really quickly.

And when I get bored, it's like the worst parts of me come out. I really veer to self-destructive tendencies quickly.

Nothing's going to come to you by sitting around and waiting for it.

I don't feel like it's a time to be shy about raising my voice, and I don't think that the things I'm raising my voice about should be alienating. If it's alienating to a "fan base," then I'm not responsible for that.

I've always really been interested in the Pygmalion myth and both what it has to say about creativity and what it has to say about relationships between men and women. I'd been thinking about what I would want to do with that if I was going to write on that theme, and one morning I woke up and Calvin and Ruby Sparks were in my head.