I was a total nerd growing up. I'd rather sit home and read a novel on New Year's Eve and say, 'Wow, I read the whole thing in one night!' That was my idea of a big time.

I think it's very important to support the program in your area, as each part of the country has its own challenges coping with AIDS. It can be very different from state to state and city to city. Wherever you live, there is surely someone who could use your help.

Nobody wants to sit where I'm sitting and say, 'Hey, this is the reality. I did two movies, six guest-star spots and I starred in a one-woman show, and I'm not making any money. I'm on TV every day in every country in the world, and I don't make any money.'

I like having my autonomy; I like going into the vegetable aisle with little fanfare. Very few go into that star category, in that uber above-the-title category. The rest of us, day in and day out, we're there to support what they do.