I'm one of the actors who really enjoys working with kids and animals, which is always a no go. There's something beautiful about it because you tend to forget yourself as an actor.
In the beginning of my twenties, I started transcendental meditation. For years, I did nothing else. Every holiday, I went to courses. Meditation is a real simple instrument. You don't need a long beard or a sari. It's meant to bring you to yourself. It's as easy as that.
I've always been drawn to the message of 'Be yourself. Love yourself.' I need to be reminded of that all time.
I really saw my mom advocate on my behalf and really say, 'Hey, you're good enough.' It was from her that I learned that just because something hasn't been done before, it doesn't mean it can't be done now. You have to speak up, and you've got to assert yourself because it takes somebody to be the first one to make it happen.
I just had this New York thing. When I got there, I felt so at home. I said, 'This is where the crazy people go.' It's OK to be yourself in New York. In L.A., it's difficult.
The playing field is anything but level when you walk into the grocery store. So much government subsidy goes into processed foods. Even when you're well-meaning as a parent or a shopper for yourself, you can't help but be pulled toward the highly processed food.
You need to constantly remind yourself what is the most important thing that is happening in the world - what is the most important thing that is happening in history. The discipline to have this focus is something I gained from meditation.
In general, for me, a big thing in my life has been just sort of learning what true self-esteem is and what true positive self-image is. And being a dancer, and growing up in that world, you're so focused on yourself, and you're so focused on achieving goals, on finding perfection, and working on your craft.
I think that as an artist, the more that you can do to diversify, and kind of challenge yourself, the more you grow.
The most important thing about my life is this integrity, and you can't lie to yourself.
If you're unhappy in a relationship, I think you just don't trust yourself for getting into another one.
When you're trying to sustain a high level of intensity and panic, sometimes it actually helps to have something happen that makes you really afraid because even if in real life it wouldn't make you that scared, to take that little bit of fear and be melodramatic about it, I guess, and convince yourself that it's worse, can be effective.
When you're telling a story, the best stories, every character has an arc. Every one. And that arc is usually about finding yourself, or about at least finding something about yourself that you didn't know.
Once you thrust yourself out there in the public domain, it's really hard to retreat, to say no or reclaim that certain part of your life as private.
It's really hard to watch yourself on TV. It's definitely different in that the world has to watch, too.
If you come to Georgia, you can open up a company in a day. You yourself can come tomorrow and establish a company in a day, and you're not halted by paperwork.
I enjoy fights the most once them nerves go away and you settle into the fight. That's when you can have your fun and be creative and just kind of be yourself.
I'm a big fan of Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars - that's my next level. You've got to dream. People have always tried to shoot me down for wanting to be a big worldwide star. But why not? You have to broaden your horizons and put yourself out there.
If you don't like your sister or don't get along with your father, let's find out if you like yourself. Let's not sugarcoat anything about it.
It's OK to not have all the answers, and in fact, the more extraordinary people you are able to surround yourself with, the better you will become.
There is no monopoly on becoming a millionaire. If you're jealous of those with more money, don't just sit there and complain - do something to make more money yourself.
When I finish a first draft, I often look back at first chapters I wrote and laugh at them. They're like pictures of yourself in middle school. You're embarrassed to see them.
You can't really go wrong as long as you're true to yourself.
People don't realise what a nice thing it is for an actor to go to a job where they know or like everybody, because you're so often having to do new beginnings, starting off on set with people you don't know, having to introduce yourself and make friends.
How do you deal with giving yourself the options in the editing room for dealing with problems that come up from a shifting tone? It's trying to convince your actors to give you the genes and several versions to have more options in the editing room.
I liken movies to playing a piano: Sometimes you're playing the chords and different notes with unresolved cadences and playing all major chords that are all over the place, and you're enjoying yourself with a great, simple melody.
One of the first exercises we did in acting class my freshman year was to stand in two rows, two lines facing each other as a class, and just make sounds and move in some completely nonsensical way out into the center of the room. Sort of make an idiot out of yourself, essentially, but to be okay with that.
I think you can find yourself on one of these shows for a long period of time and think that all you'll ever be able to do is that character. Certainly people think of you that way.
Working at Pixar you learn the really honest, hard way of making a great movie, which is to surround yourself with people who are much smarter than you, much more talented than you, and incite constructive criticism; you'll get a much better movie out of it.
If you want to express yourself, you need the services of a lover or a psychiatrist; if you want to express a book, you might conceivably manage it.
Isn't it nice not to have to compartmentalize yourself?
Writing for yourself is like exposing your diary. It can be a little embarrassing at times, but if it helps somebody get through the day just by hearing a song, it's well worth it.
You must remember, my own philosophy is that you don't belong only to yourself. You have an obligation to the society which protected you when you were brought into the world, which taught you, which supported you and nurtured you. You have an obligation to repay it.
I would say to you, have faith in yourself - believe in what you are doing, and, most important, be a person of integrity. It is totally up to you, and no one else, how your life evolves.
I think it's very dangerous for people who do anything that's public to venture on the Web and check out what people are saying about them. Yes, you're bound to find things that will delight you - but you also find things that will make you brood and feel bad about yourself. Why would you intentionally invite that into your life?
I think, as a filmmaker, it's important to be honest with yourself at all times in terms of what's working and what's not.
