I think Van Sant is the most important American director we have. He takes the most risks. He's just pure to me.

I think in some ways you learn more from the things you don't like than the things you do.

If a religious person says "No, no, no" and they won't listen to science, it makes me think that they don't have faith in their own religion.

I was really impressed with Naomi [Watts]. She was a producer, and she was doing things that I wasn't really aware of. The way she was able to switch from handling problems to shoot a really difficult scene, I think is a real testament to her true ability.

Every director is different and they all have different styles. I've worked with directors who were very specific and they gave a lot of direction. The one thing about Michael [Haneke]that I think is interesting is that he really has a reason for everything he's asking you. If you challenge it, he is open for discussion but he has a clear idea of what he wants with reasons why.

I think it's very dangerous for an actor to take [shooting] too seriously because I think it could really damage you if you do that.