Joss Whedon is a hero of mine, and what he's done for women in film and television, particularly when it comes to writing female roles that would typically go to a man, is awesome.

While 'The Help' is in so many ways a celebration of these women's friendships and what they overcome, it's also very truthful and very painful, and it was intense for my mom to read that.

Directing 'When You Find Me' was one of the most creatively rewarding endeavors of my career.

My sister can walk down the street and just know what's going on with people. She'll say, 'Oh, they're going through a divorce' or, 'Their kid just went off to college' or, 'He just got a great job.'

I was only in LA for two weeks when I got that job. And I didn't work again for two years.

CNN, a part of the Time Warner company, lives for news about everything and anyone. In the office, the bosses openly discuss the need for a diverse staff and diverse stories, and each time we draw new viewers, the effort intensifies.

As a spectator, you get to watch everything, but I'd much rather be playing than watching. I'll have time to watch later in my career.

I give my grandfather, Dr Harold Young, a forestry Professor at the University of Maine, full credit for my career path. He pioneered the use of aerial photography in forestry in the 1950s, and we think he worked as a spy for the CIA during the Cold War, mapping Russian installations.