These days I have to be extra nice in stores. It never fails that whenever I look as bad as I can possibly look or I am sort of cranky because the store is out of something, that is precisely the time when someone one will recognize me and say: 'I really like your show.'

All my references are 50 years old-when somebody shot J.R., you know? Oh my god, I'm 100!

You want the story to end when it's supposed to and not be squeezed for somebody's financial gain.

As I've gotten older, I've gotten more liberal, and my father is increasingly conservative. It's so shocking to me because I always thought we had the same politics. The day I realized we voted for different presidents, I practically fell out of my chair.

Growing up an only child with a single parent is probably why I'm an actor.

One of the things I like about the show is it redefines the idea of what it is to be a mother, which at its most basic level is to take care of a child. It doesn't mean you have to look like the ladies in the Lysol commercials.

It's great to have an acting job in the age of Reality TV.

These days I have to be extra nice in stores. It never fails that whenever I look as bad as I can possibly look or I am sort of cranky because the store is out of something, that is precisely the time when someone one will recognize me and say: 'I really like your show.'

Some people think my father was a spy, because of working for that government agency in Vietnam, but he can't find his car keys, much less keep a national secret.

I definitely wanted to be an actor. I didn't want to be on TV, I didn't want to be famous, I didn't want to be anyone in particular; I just wanted to do it. I see young people now who look at magazines, or American Idol and their goal is to have that lifestyle - to have good handbags, or go out with cute guys from shows, or whatever. But I definitely wanted to be an actor.

I've made out more this season on a family-friendly show than ever in my actual life.

I'm nice, and I show up on time.

If I had a normal job and had been moving up, I'd be management level now.

The thing I don't like on television is when somebody does something that makes absolutely no sense just for the shock of it.

Belly buttons are cool!

Texting is not flirting, if you don't care about me enough to say the words than that's not love, I don't like it!

The parts for women, you're either like the quietly suffering wife or the wild girl.

Nobody ever seems to want my advice about serious stuff. People will be like: 'Who made that sweater?' Or 'How did you get your hair so straight?' They don't to come to me for the relationship advice or deep stuff. In fact, my little sister actually hides from me.

I feel real ownership in this show. I feel very invested in it. I care very much about it. I don't feel any more like a hired hand, you know? It's a strange feeling - I feel personally responsible for how the story goes. What happens. What the weaknesses are. And so in a way, some of the changes gave me an opportunity to have a voice in a different way.

Perspective is the most important thing to have in life.

All TV shows are basically part of the same storyline.

As actors we always say that once the person in a scene gets what they want, the scene is over. It's resolved. But life is never resolved - you're always in the process.

Because I have no consistent schedule as an actor, it was difficult to develop one as a writer. Ideally, I'd like to write first thing in the morning, every day. But sometimes I'm called to set before the sun comes up, or I've worked late the night before, or I'm on a plane.

Having trees and a track to run on have become more important to me than living near cool restaurants.

Honestly, 'Parenthood' was not what I planned. I didn't plan to do another drama. I didn't plan to play a single mom. I didn't plan, even, to do an ensemble show. But I hadn't found anything I liked as much. I just connected to the show.

Honestly, I was such a tomboy as a kid. People were taking from their mothers' closets - I was taking from my dad's closet. It was the '80s, so it wasn't terrible, but I was wearing my dad's dress shirts over jeans from the Gap.

I always saw myself as a comedic actor and wacky best friend.

I didn't grow up identifying with beauty. I grew up thinking I could be smart and funny - those are the things I got feedback on.

I get concerned when I see kids on their phones. They don't read enough anymore, anything longer than a tweet.

I have way too many jeans. But I never seem to have a top to wear.

I just don't know that a TV show demands a movie ending.

I love TV. I think I'd do a half-hour single-camera comedy.

I take the no-doughnut pledge, and then I break it.

I think what my hope is is that the only downside of having a steady job on television is, I think for all actors, there's a piece, there's some adrenaline, and part of the love of the job is not knowing what's coming next, and the variety.

I would like to be part of a family, however that looks. Family is really important to me.

I'm baffled when young actors aren't familiar with current film, television and theater, or aren't interested in older films or plays and the history of the craft in general. If you don't know what's out there, and what came before, then how can you picture yourself working, and how can anyone else?

I've always really liked being active. I do Spinning classes, I run, I have a trainer, I do Pilates with my sister Shade.

I've always thought my strengths were I'm smart, and I have a good sense of humor. I definitely struggle with feeling confident.

I've dated people who I thought were going to be a big deal in my life, and I've also spent long periods by myself.

I've pretty much always been on a diet since I was born. And the women in my family struggle, so I find the less I think about food, in a way, the happier I am. In general, I think I eat less the less I think about it.

If you're meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you've already set the bar too high.

Like my dad, I have a Christmas party most years. I like to celebrate and see as many people as possible.

My mother had lived in London since I was little, so she never got to see my school plays and stuff.

My time at Barnard was fun but stressful. I transferred there from the acting conservatory at NYU, and my Rolling Around On the Floor Pretending to Be a Lion classes didn't translate into many academic credits.

None of my characters have really had jobs.

Personally, all I ever want to be wearing are jeans.

Sometimes I'll think, 'That was a really nice day. I ate well, I exercised, I called some friends, wasn't working too hard,' but I rarely have one of those.

Strangers were worried about me; that's how long I was single!

The thing about good writing is it has a music to it.