Quotes

'Notorious' is a masterwork. I can watch it every day.

Michelle Obama blows my mind. Form and function, style and grace.

It's a lot of fun to just say to people, proudly, 'I get to play the First Lady.' It's just fun to say.

If I could have anyone's mind for a day, I really can't think of anyone other than Einstein.

I'm blessed because I had my mom as a teacher - sixth through eighth grade - and she is one of the best teachers I've ever had.

I'd love to go back and do theater. There's nothing like that instant response and the connection to a live audience.

I miss singing. I did Broadway forever.

I am a fosterer of animals.

My dad used to say, 'Just be yourself and you'll be fine,' but it's really, really true.

I used to be so hard on myself. So hard on myself. Just my own worst critic to the nth degree. Absolutely undermining my confidence in every moment. Bad tape in my head all the time.

I think you choose how you walk through this life. I think if you choose to participate in a paradigm that is looks-based, if you're an actor, then it can be empowering in some ways, and it can be really limiting in some ways in terms of time and longevity.

I started singing when I was about 3 and dancing soon after. Mom just started looking for outlets where I could perform and availed herself of any opportunity she could in the mountains of North Carolina in the '70s.

I did love Dirty Sexy Money (2007) quite a lot. I loved my tenure at Scrubs (2001) quite a lot. ER (1994) might have been my favorite guest star thing. We Were Soldiers (2002) meant a lot to me.

When you guest-star, you're usually at the center of the dramatic arc, so that's fun.

With Yale, my world got so big all of a sudden. At school, if you could dream it, someone would make it so that you could do it. It was magical. I had a lot going on, as you do when you're 17, and didn't necessarily capitalize on all of it, but it made me see possibility in a way that I hadn't before.

The First Lady is such a fascinating office to hold. You're not elected, but it's very much official. You can see the latitude of power of that office.

Jackie O was so capable in so many ways. Hillary tried to redefine the role when she got into public policy, and Michelle Obama is able to move smoothly between form and function, style and substance.