“Sometimes as human beings, we’re so contradictory – we may say something or do something and completely contradict ourselves.”

It’s been such a gift that there was so much TV and independent film happening in New York that I could be a part of.

Being on a show with a female lead is amazing for me. I love that. I love the powerful woman who’s complicated.

I grew up in a very suburban neighborhood, so I was used to everything being safe and lovely.

You don’t always have the time to do that. You learn very quickly, I think, how essential it is to come in with the strongest choice that you have.

That’s what I’m learning to embrace in television – not knowing what’s going to happen.

There was something to satiate my desire to be artistic and creative, especially when it wasn’t in the way I originally thought it was going to be.

When you do a play, you have all this time to rehearse and grow into the character. In television, even though you’re waiting and waiting and waiting,

The courage to decide that I have a voice and need to do what I love. To believe that this opportunity is not wasted on me. To own the fact that I am worthy.

If you’re doing an indie and you have time, sometimes you can do take after take after take, but if you’re working in television on that filming schedule,

I might make a specific choice for myself and then in the next episode the writers might write something that contradicts it.

When the doors to television were opened to me, that was quite a surprise.

There is a voice inside of my head that is trying to convince me that I’m not good enough and that I don’t deserve to be here in Hollywood. So courage is required.

It has not yet been recorded that any human being has gained a very large or permanent contentment from meditation upon the fact that he is better off than others.

Being an outsider makes you a really good writer.

Part of your mission in life then must be to share your gifts with as many people as possible. That means being willing to play big.

Mr. Bennett, for just giving me this opportunity. I thank you for always being there for me when I need you.

That’s one of the great things about being an actor. You get to learn all these things normal people don’t get to learn.

I grew up being an artist, but also rock-climbing and traveling the world and teaching my kids.

I think there’s a danger in politics of being too risk-averse.

[On being criticized for her serious expression:] I simply ache from smiling. Why are women expected to beam all the time? It’s unfair. If a man looks solemn, it’s automatically assumed he’s a serious person, not a miserable one.