I enjoy living life and I enjoy going to different restaurants and eating my way through a country and going to different museums and learning about different cultures.
I don’t necessarily put on an act when I go on Jay Leno or dress differently in public than I do in private. I’d like to think I’m the same person, more or less.
I feel like every role that you take there’s a part of you that obviously feels like you can do it. I don’t know if perfect is the right word because I don’t believe in perfection and I don’t think it exists but I think striving to do something well is in every single part.
I had such a great time doing commercials and things as a kid. My grandparents were on set with me all the time, and I loved that I got to hang out with them, so I will forever be grateful for that. But I just loved every minute of it.
When it’s a comedy or drama or horror or romance, it’s all the same. You want to be honest with the character. You want to play truthfully and you want to be genuine with your character.
Women innately have this weird thing where they try to have a perfect persona – to look perfect, be perfect, act perfect, have their kids look a certain way. Women put so much pressure on themselves.
It took me five months to lose twenty pounds and it took me hours to gain it back. I mean it was magical how quickly it all happened. Going back to my poor eating habits after having really good eating habits my stomach was a little unsettled.
I didn’t get the Russian Jew part because they didn’t think I looked Russian or Jewish enough – and, mind you, I am both Russian and Jewish – so I was cast as the racist Mexican.
I started teaching myself, taking a breath or a moment that’s not overreacting or having an explosion. It made me such a better person. Let alone a better mother, but also just a better human.
I came to America when I was seven and a half in 91. I think the first full length book in English that I read was Return to Oz when I was nine years old.