Alia Shawkat

When I'm working, I'm pretty busy with that, but when I'm not, yeah, I like to make music. I sing in jazz bars and stuff, and then I mainly paint every day. It's kind of like a different side of my mind I like to use, and it keeps the other one fresh, and yeah, writing, I've been writing with some friends.

With independent film, as an actor, you have more involvement - it's very much more connected. It's not just like I'm showing up and there's another actor on the call sheet; you're very attached to it.

When you focus on life, on enjoying and connecting with other people, that's when work comes. When you focus on work, you can never work. I'm always going through waves of that.

I don't think it's good to say that you won't do certain things, but I don't necessarily have the natural urge to write.

My grandfather talked about James Dean; they were both very much into method acting.

After 'Arrested Development,' I didn't know for sure if I wanted to be an actor. I was hitting this wall, where I was the 'ethnic best friend' or the 'sassy teenager.' It felt like the same note, and I didn't feel like I was growing.

The words are ludicrous at times, but you add the reality to it and that gives it the balance it has.

When I wrap a job, I disconnect with it, and I'm done, even if they said we'd shoot more next year, at this time, which is not the case at all because nobody knows what's happening.

Over time, I've been more recognized.

I think with the whole new Internet media, I'm not necessarily Internet savvy, but I just feel that the way that art in general will be presented to the public is going to be different.

I got to work with Eli Vargas. Great guy. Huge in Spain. He's a heartthrob there. Who else? Terry Crews - he was really funny.

I don't want to put down my work - I'm very proud of the work I've done.