You see so many earnest characters in movies all the time everyone has a purpose.

My interest in film is sort of catholic - apart from science fiction and horror movies I'll watch almost everything.

I loved old black and white movies especially the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals. I loved everything about them - the songs the music the romance and the spectacle. They were real class and I knew that I wanted to be in that world.

I grew up when I was 15 when I had my first opportunity in movies. I watched every great movie for a year and a half and since then I've asked myself how I can emulate such artistry. That's really my motivation. I want to do something as good as my heroes have done.

I'm glad movies aren't going to please everybody they can't. But what they have to be is recognisable. I don't equate myself with a master painter but I think you can recognise my films.

I don't stop. It's my nature. People have to tell me to slow down. I plan on playing every role on Broadway. I want to do 'Evita.' I want to do 'Sweeney Todd' with Chris Colfer. We want to do 'Wicked.' I'll be Elphaba and he wants to play 'Guy-linda.' I want to do movies make music. 'Glee' is only the beginning.

Movies are open doors and at every door I change character and life.

Listen I think movies serve many different purposes from those movies that are frivolous and just an entertainment to movies that just go to exploring the complexities of the human soul. Everything is valid if it's done with honesty and dignity and I actually do both of those types of movies in my career.

The person that made me want to make movies and the reason I do films is Bruce Lee. He was an incredible actor and he had a lot of charisma. Handsome action you know everything was there. I loved Bruce Lee.

I'm trying to figure myself out through my movies. Whether it's big stuff like what we're doing here or little stuff like 'Why aren't I happier?' With every film I feel like I'm apologising for something. I feel I'm most successful when I'm looking for something that embarrasses me about my character that I'd like to expose.

I feel I want to grow as an actress and be better. I want to progress as a singer and songwriter and produce movies and everything. So there'll be no time when I feel I've done it all.

I have three kids who like Harry Potter so I was sort of aware of it. You can't really move from it: it's on buses in stores it's everywhere. One of my kids has read the books the other two are too small but they like the movies.

It's like those high-school yearbook photos that everyone would rather not see: Oh my God look at that mullet hair. I have those photos too but for me they're like entire movies. And they show them on cable.

Usually I do everything reverse. I practice something in movies and then I try it in real life.

My movies just kind of sneak up on you. I don't have to worry too much about what everybody is going to say. Anyway I really don't pay attention to what the world says about my movies. I just care about what my buddies think.

Movies such as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' in 1939 to 'Dave' in 1993 portray Washington leaders as the ultimate Everymen - decent people just like you and me only thrust onto greatness.

When I got depressed I watched Bruce Lee movies. I learned everything from Bruce Lee.

I have realized that I hate going to the premieres of the movies that I'm in. Because I feel this tension after the movie is over that everyone feels obligated to say something nice to you. It's so unnatural and uncomfortable.

Well everyone likes movies when they're a little kid.

Sure 'Twilight' is really huge right now and everybody's freaking out over it but it will go away soon and I will be back to doing what I'm used to doing: weird little movies that nobody sees.

Everyone related to me in my circle was from church: church friends church school church activities. All my friends weren't allowed to watch MTV or go to PG-13 movies or listen to the radio so I didn't really know anything different. That's how I was raised.

Dude I didn't say Jude Law can't act. I didn't say Jude Law was in bad movies. I just said he's in every movie.

Movies are my religion and God is my patron. I'm lucky enough to be in the position where I don't make movies to pay for my pool. When I make a movie I want it to be everything to me like I would die for it.

I'm not a Hollywood basher because enough good movies come out of the Hollywood system every year to justify its existence without any apologies.