True collaboration among bright people involves listening intently rather than jockeying for individual positioning.

“what I realized: really bright people don't jockey for their position. They share their ideas and their feelings, and then they listen intently.”

A director who is also a great writer provides a fresher and more effective experience for the actors.

“There are great, great directors, of course, who aren't writers. But when a great director is also a great writer, then the first thing he did is when he gave you the script, and you're having that experience. With him, it's always gonna be so fresh.”

The filmmaking process relies on instinct rather than intellectualizing the work.

“we talked a lot about you know not intellectualizing things and just you know trying things out and seeing how they turn out”

The rehearsal process is essential for bypassing the tendency to over-intellectualize a role.

“the rehearsal process really helps sort of bypass attempting to intellectualize it in any way”

The filmmaking process requires trusting the director's world-building rather than trying to intellectually unpack it.

“I just kind of trust the world that he's building and follow whatever Direction he gives and feel lucky to be there”

The acting process is like a form of play that relies on trusting the director and the script.

“when he emailed me he invited me to like come play for a day and that's what it felt like and that's the head space I tried to stay in was play”