The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. That's what you have to do: you have to be confident in your potential and aware of your inexperience.

I spent three years working at the White House and wanted to do something that wasn't about passing bills and resolutions.

I'll always cringe remembering those little embarrassing moments when I said something dumb on a conference call, when my inexperience poked through, when I should have been more solicitous of the judgment of those around me. They're a reminder that it's not mutually exclusive to be confident and humble, to be skeptical and eager to learn.

I'm not insulting Trump supporters; I'm calling the people that CNN puts on television terrible representatives of the views of conservatives.

The music is super fun. I love writing the songs. I love performing, for the most part, and I love doing artwork, but I hate answering 100 emails a day and most interviews.

I was, throughout school, in the theater program. Through elementary school, junior high, high school, and then J.J. Abrams, my closest friend in the world, we were living together. He was writing, and I was trying writing; I wasn't getting paid for it like he was, but I always had the acting bug.

The best thing about being from Britain is that it's a melting pot of cultures, characters, and creativity. I couldn't imagine coming from anywhere else.

Reading while I'm writing ideally inspires my competitive side. When I read great writers, I want to be a better writer.