I grew up backstage and on movie sets, and I thought they were the most magical places on Earth.

All the characters on 'Girls' are growing and changing, which is how real people behave, especially when we're young, trying to figure out who we are, doing things that are the polar opposite of our characteristics.

I went to a strict elementary school with nuns, and uniforms that I'm pretty sure were made out of sandpaper. It was an academic, sports-oriented place. I liked to read, and wanted to act, and didn't try out for volleyball. I was weird. The other girls would dip my hair in ink and stuff.

We kept the old male ideas of success: power and money. We need new ones!

Give me an 18-hour day on set or in the theater, and I will be the happiest person alive.

No matter what we as individual women want, no matter what our goals, we have to support one another.

I haven't found it to be particularly enjoyable... ninety percent of the time when I go on dates, I'm thinking, 'I could be reading my book instead.'