I know it sounds earnest, but I do really feel in my bones that acting is just a small part of the equation when you are making a movie. The director really is in charge. Actors are as important or unimportant as the rest of the people around them.
Yoga has stopped me from destroying my joints after running. It slows me down. My brain and body can go into overdrive – yoga teaches me to focus on the moment and not get ahead of myself.
I remember seeing Janet McTeer in A Doll’s House. My grandmother took me and we had seats in the very back row, but her performance was so powerful – it was very accessible. I felt like I was much closer than I was.
I’m not good at keeping secrets. If I’m entrusted with a secret from a friend, I can do that because I’m a good friend, but I don’t like having secrets, it makes me nervous.
I like a director who is very observant and is watching what I’m doing and noticing what I’m doing, but is giving me time to figure it out. They don’t jump right in and give you a note before you’ve had time to really search on your own with how to do a scene.
As an actor, you’re only one little piece of the puzzle; you’re fulfilling someone else’s vision. If you’re involved earlier on, you’re kind of creating your own.
We can become very short-sighted in terms of objectives. The first thing to go during times of economic crisis and budget cuts is funding for things that are essential and not-quantifiable, like the arts. Save Big Bird
