I am Alicia Witt- I'm an actor and singer/songwriter. You might know me most recently from this season's 'Justified'. AMA!

It's that "Fuckin' D-Girl!"

Hey Alicia! Thanks for doing this AMA!

I've loved you in Mr. Holland's Opus, Dune, and Twin Peaks, but I was really happy to see you in The Sopranos.

What was your experience like working with Michael Imperiorli, Allen Coulter and David Chase?

it was THE BEST!!! man, when i finished making that episode i realized how lucky they all were to be on a show like that. it was the first time i'd been on a TV set and felt like i was making a movie - i think The Sopranos was one of the first of its kind in that way. nowadays of course TV quality has become equal to and often greater than movies- but at the time that was a revelation. I would have loved to have been a regular on that show.

I know from working with you why you're so amazing! BUT! When did you fall in love with being a musician?

Are you the Tonez? As in the rapper from the intro to Justified?

hellz yeah he is! and we have done two songs together- check out 'my baby girl', out now (itunes, youtube for the music video we did, etc). and we also wrote one that we hope will be used on Justified next season!

i've always been in love with music and being a musician. it was about 7 years ago that i realized i had to do it ALL the time- not just in my living room by myself. since then i've been playing all over the world and recording and writing all the time- and i realize how incomplete my life was before that. now i feel more present even when i'm acting. YOU ROCK TONEZ!!

Is Cybil Shephard as crazy as she seems?

it was an experience hahahaha.

How is it possible that you are 38 years old and how common are red-haired vampires?

hahahaha!! i take that as a compliment! honestly i never think about age. i forget how old my friends are all the time- it's so unimportant except when taking stock of how far you've come etc.

Huge Dune fan here. What is one of your favorite memories from working on the movie Dune? Any inside info from the movie us plebs might not know?

i asked Sting why he had only one name and he said 'my parents were too poor to afford more than one'! i got to see him again last year and i reminded him of this.

You were fantastic on Justified, one of the brightest parts of a show that is already one of the best on television. Going into the season, were you aware that it would just be for the season, or was there the potential for a return in the final season? Also, just how amazing are Tim and Walton? I could watch a show that was just the two of them in a room talking for an hour.

thank you so very much for that! I really appreciate it. going into it I really had no idea what to expect- i think on that show they write as they go along. i know that right up until a few episodes before they wrote the finale, they had no idea how it was actually going to end. everyone has told me 'if you don't die on Justified, you may come back'- haha. so i know that my role was only intended to be in season 5, but you never know! tim and walton are incredible. i wish i'd gotten more chance to work with mr goggins but mr olyphant is officially one of my favorite actors i've ever worked with- for every reason.

Who's the favorite person you've kissed on camera and why is it Tim Riggins?

hahahaha! well i WOULD say yes- but would you believe i didn't actually kiss him on camera???? i wish!!! (if you go back you'll see it was only implied. dammit!)

Ben Folds once mentioned a project called "40 Fingers" that was going to be the two of you plus Amanda Palmer and Tim Minchin all on Piano. Was any actual recording done with the 4 of you and if so is there any chance it might be released sometime?

we had wanted to do it but it was too hard to coordinate with all of our schedules. sadly i'm not sure it will ever happen.

Was it hard working with Charlie Sheen when you guest starred in Two and A Half Men?

no! actually he was totally professional and a pleasure to work with.

Hello Alicia Witt, you are pretty. So, to my question, can you thank whomever decided to put Wendy Crowe in those skirts for me? That is all.

THANK YOU! and you give me the opportunity for me to let you know that since i'm vegan, all those skirts were fake leather!

What is the best/funniest practical joke you have seen happen on the set?

I was doing a makeout scene with greg germann on ally mcbeal and he stuck a friggin banana down his pants. but he was laughing too hard so i never even felt it.

Enough about Cybill.....what was it like working with Christine Baranski? She was the real star of the show IMHO.

i LOVE and loved christine. and i agree. she was honestly one of my biggest role models- i was 18 when i started doing that show and she, to me, was everything a woman should be. the most wonderful mother, wife, person- so humble. and as an actor was and still is one of the most brilliant comediennes i've ever seen. i bow down to her.

What was Ben Folds like to work with?

he is the most gifted producer i've ever worked with. by far. but you can tell that by checking out what he's produced for Sara B, Amanda Palmer, etc. he's a rare musician.

What was it like working on Urban Legend?

hi! you know it was honestly the hardest work i've done on a job so far. simply because so much of it was 'natalie runs thru the rain at night' haha. even when i was doing an indoor scene, i was just having come in from the rain, so they would hose me down with cold water before i walked in! i spent most of the shoot shivering in wet jeans and boots. and because i was pretty much in every scene, i didn't have much of a chance to get to know or hang out with the rest of the cast. i am so glad i got to do that movie though. even though it made me terrified of the back seat for years!!

Hi Alicia! I loved you on Justified and thanks for doing this AMA! I was wondering if you had any dogs and if so what kind? My dog got killed a couple of days ago, so dogs are on my mind. Thanks again! :)

oh- i'm sending you so much love. tearing up as i write this. heart goes out to you. yes i have two rescue babies- maggie is almost 12, and ernest is my newest, he is 12 months old. i had to say goodbye to my beautiful ginger dog, Jake, in december- he was 14. and 5 days before that my 20 year old cat left her body. there is no pain like that. know that your dog will stay with you forever now, in your heart. put your hand there and feel - he or she is right there with you now.

You famously lost the part of Mary Jane in "Spider-Man" to Kirsten Dunst. Which other past roles were you considered for that you didn't get?

many! and there were many well known actors who auditioned for roles that i ended up getting. i never talk about that- i feel like it's bad form for whoever did get the part. it's so arbitrary. as actors we audition ALL the time. and it's rarely the person who gives the 'best' audition who gets the part. i can't tell you how many times i've walked into a room, known i didn't do the best audition they saw, and also knew i was gonna get the part. it comes down to what they see in the role.

If you had to choose a woman to make out with, who would it be?

shanola hampton, my BFF! in fact i already made out with her. sure, it was on stage in The Gift in 2000 where i met her- we were playing lovers- but hey. that counts right?

Did you know that there are literally dozens of people who've been quoting your first great line for thirty years? Climbing from the rubble -

"And how can this be? For He IS the KWISATZ HADERACH!"

Pretty much anytime someone does something cool, I say it, my friends all say it, my entire family has said it since 1984.

my brother is coming! with many fremen waaaaawwwiors...

Hi, you are such a great actress and so beautiful! What was it like for you growing up with red hair? I have red hair too and I wanted to see if there are any parallels with our experiences. Thanks!

i've always loved being a redhead. hands down! I was home schooled so i never had peer teasing or anything like that- but really i've always felt like it sets me apart and also really suits my personality. thank you for the compliment! GOOOO ginja ninjas!

What's it like auditioning for roles in the 21st century? Is it just as daunting as ever, even for established actors and actresses?

it is a crazy thing. you never stop auditioning! it doesn't matter how many things you've done- there is constantly the need to prove yourself. at this point about half the things i do i had to audition for; the other half are incoming offers.

What would you say was the greatest invasion of your privacy by the paparazzi in your career?

the greatest invasion was actually an inside job. a makeup artist on Cybill was, unbeknownst to us, befriending several of us gals on the set and then talking to the tabloids. but the crazy thing was he was actually making stuff up to pad the truth. they actually will print total fabrications! but once i stopped hanging out with him, the intrusive photogs suddenly stopped showing up. (even when i was dating my co-star). the paparazzi has always pretty much left me alone- i am not that scandalous haha.

Hey Alicia, I just heard your interview with Alison Rosen. Is she your new best friend?

yes of course !!

Hi Alicia! Long time fan. I have two questions.

Was it tough coming into fame at such an early age with your success on Cybill?

I just showed my wife Four Rooms last week and she thought that you probably have some interesting stories from that group of women. Do you have any?

hi! thank you. i knew at the time that cybill was on the air what a gift it was- but it was odd too because unlike when you're in films (which was all i'd done up to that point), people come up to you with a sort of familiarity they don't if you're not on TV- they called me my character name everywhere i went, and stared and pointed without saying hi, that sort of thing. it is as though you're known for that character without being known as an actor, if that makes sense. but i knew it was a rare blessing to be on a hit show and i never took it for granted- even though i knew that the sitcom format was probably not my real comfort zone. does that make sense? the story i think of the most from four rooms is how i got them to agree to let me leave duct tape on my boobs for the topless scene!

What happened with the actor who was cast as the Haitian? How much rewriting did they have to do when he quit? And do you think it significantly changed the course of the season?

Edi Gathegi simply did not like the direction in which his character was going, is my understanding. i had very little to do with him and didn't actually speak to him about it, but that's what i was told by the others on the set. one thing that's awesome about the Justified writers is that i think they really respond to who they're writing for and i feel like if they sense the enthusiasm isn't there, the last thing they'd want to do is keep someone where they're not happy. yes i do think it significantly changed the course of the season- but how, we will never know!

I backed your kickstarter. You've got quite the pipes. I was going to ask about future music... but you answered that already. So, instead, what's your favorite dessert? And favorite desert, too?

favorite dessert! the mint chocolate chip sundae from plant based Pure Food & Wine in New York. ooh and anything from Crossroads in LA. desert- ahh one in Costa Rica. or- belize- or- croatia? i love the beach. hahaha. thanks for the questions!

Do you check the back seat when you get in your car?

i sure did for a long time after Urban Legend!

Hey Alicia,

First off, I think you're absolutely beautiful, a real beauty! (Sorry, had to get that off my chest). But my question is, seeing that you are a singer/songwriter besides an amazing actress, what artists have influenced you musically?

wow thank you! you make a redhead smile!! musically- i'm influenced by classic piano based singer songwriters- elton john, billy joel,. paul simon, carole king. also guitar/folk poets like shawn colvin, ray lamontagne, etc etc. i love tom waits- i love sara b.

Hi Alicia, I have watched you on loads of things, Cybill and in Law & Order and always thought you were great, but a performance that really sticks out for me was an early movie you did, called Fun. I watched it on late night TV when I was about 14 and I really thought it was a great film, your performance is really fantastic in it and the music, grunge styling etc really brings back my 90s teenage years (although my teen years had much less murder in them :) ) I think Bonnie and I had an identical wardrobe!

The DVD available is a terrible scan and I would love to see it re-released I was always surprised it didn't become more of a cult classic.

Question - Was the barb wire snag accidental ?

YES it was accidental! so much of that movie was a beautiful accident- we had only 7 days to shoot most of it (and one additional day to shoot the shopping mall montage). we rehearsed lines ahead of time but on the day we often had no more than 2 takes for any given scene. so it felt completely guerrilla style and improvisational (altho there was less actual improv than you would think- the script was fantastically natural)

What does Timothy Olyphant smell like?

ha. on the set we all smell like makeup and hairspray! not that Tim and i had any makeout scenes- but that's the funniest thing about sex scenes. i just had one with matt lauria the other day for a new show called Navy St (it airs in the fall) and despite already being friends with him, they are the unsexiest things ever. and it's all about the powder and the hairspray and the modesty patches we wear- haha.

Hi Alicia, it's always a delight to see you on screen. I have especially enjoyed seeing you on Justified, which is quite hectic to say the least. I was wondering if there is a genre/role you would like to explore?

i want to do a really crazy silly slapstick comedy! farrely brothers or curb your enthusiasm. in fact curb is my ringtone.

I always ask people in these AMAs if they know Vincent D'Onofrio. You were on Law and Order CI, so it may seem like a dumb question, but you were with Noth. So, the question stands - Do you know Vincent D'Onofrio?

P.S. You were awesome in Dune.

actually i met Vince back at the Sundance lab - a workshop for up and coming directors- when i was 17. and i met mike rapaport (who i just worked with on Justified) at the same time. they teased me mercilessly because i was a skinny pale virgin and extremely - puritanical? haha. aside from that i never saw Vince again except for one day when he came to set to watch me shoot a scene with Eric Bogosian.

If you never got into entertainment for a career choice, what would you do for a career?

i'd be making music full time for sure. ooh either that or i'd be a chef. or a therapist!

I'm still not over Tim Riggins. How did you enjoy working on Friday Night Lights? It seemed like an awesome cast. Also, how did you find the dynamic of working on a Katims show where the cast are allowed to improvise more than usual etc?

it was a joy. to say the least! no less than 50% of everything you saw on screen was improvised. which is not to take away from the brilliant scripts- we didn't need to improvise a word. but it certainly added to the freedom and 'lifelike' feeling of it.

Welcome and hello from Worcester, MA. I know you left Worcester at an early age and I unfortunately did not get to see you at Mechanic's Hall in 2012. How often do you get to come back to Worcester and do you miss living/being in New England?

i'm actually going to come back really quickly this weekend for my dad's 80th birthday! i'm sorry you missed the Mechanics Hall gig. there's a chance I may play again this New Years' if things work out, but i often don't know my schedule until a few weeks in advance.

In light of what recently happened to Brad Pitt are you much more wary on the red carpet? Would you consider hiring me as a bodyguard? I'm rather small for a guy but I'm really really good at tripping people, which would buy you some time to escape. You don't even have to pay me, I will work for vegan brownies!!

vegan brownies! you had me at vegan brownies. i'm sorry i don't see anything else but vegan brownies in your question

Alicia, Can I have 2 questions: 1) What would the title of your memoirs be? 2) If you woke tomorrow and found you were now Bruce Willis, what's the first thing that you would do?

Thanks.

i'd call my memoirs 'the other girl' (name of one of my songs) and bruce? hmmm. wellllll i suppose i'd do the same thing i'd do if i woke up and found out i were any man ;)

Good morn, Alicia! biggg FAN here. Whom were you named after, just curious... ? Also, you shoud duet with Ben Folds amiga, Julia Nunes!! have a wonderful, wonderful summer. You rock, BTW. thanksya.

i was named after a character on Little House on the Prairie! my mom loved that show and there was a character named Alicia on it.

hi alicia! when are you releasing new record? have you rerecorded any old songs of yours for this one?

hi!! i am hoping to release it later this year- it's pretty much all recorded and the final mix is happening now. the song that's already been released which is rerecorded for this album is 'blind'- ben came up with a cool country/folk stomp sort of vibe for it, and i think it rocks. can't wait for you to hear! aside from that, they're all new ones.

Hi Alicia, it was great seeing you on Justified this season. It's one of the best written shows on TV. My question is, what was your first reaction when you found out you'd be shooting Michael Rapaport in the dong at point-blank range?

my first reaction was: THANK YOU JUSTIFIED WRITERS for giving me such a kickass scene after a kickass season! really as an actor that's all you can ever ask for. i was shivering with excitement when i first read that scene. it is so deep- aside from the sensationalism of the shooting in the balls haha. there is so much pain and emotion- she's saying goodbye to the only brother she has left, at the same time as she's taking revenge.

I think you were one of my favorite characters on Justified this season (though Boyd will always be number one, sorry).

I haven't had a chance to listen to your music yet: But if you had to choose between acting and music, which would you choose?

And what is it like working with Timothy Olyphant? He's really good at giving off the "asshole" vibe, so I've often wondered if he's actually kind of an asshole in real life.

NO. tim is the furthest from an asshole. i have utmost respect for him (and i'd just avoid the q if that weren't true haha!) he is smart, has amazing ideas, and is present and generous and giving as an actor. i would work with him on anything again in a heartbeat. he's one of my favorites from my whole career, and that's no exaggeration. i WON'T choose between acting and music haha. they're both equally too much a part of me. and thank you so much for the compliment!! (I LOVE boyd on the show too)

Big fan! Next time you're back in Worcester, can a buy you a chili dog at George's Coney Island?

you're so sweet! I would rather take you up on dinner at belmont vegetarian tho :)

Bowfinger is one of my favorite movies, and you looked absolutely perfect at the premiere. <3

What was it like working with Al Pacino and do you have any new projects coming up? Congrats on the show!

http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0001860/mediaindex/rm1612946176?photoId=MV5BMTUwMDUxMDIwOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTcxMTI1&ref_=m_nm_ph_6

aww thanks!!!! i LOVED working with dear al. he had been one of my inspirations before we worked together - i think he's without a doubt one of the greatest actors that's ever lived. and it's a blessing to work with someone like that and be able to truly say you're an even bigger fan after having gotten to know them and work with them. what a joy. yes! I'm about to do a new play in LA- it's a big one and i'm SO excited! i can't announce it just yet but it happens thru August. i'm also guest starring on the TNT show The Librarian- shooting that in Portland now. and i just did a guest starring role on a new show called Navy St that airs on DirecTv in October.

Did your mom actually hold a world record? You learned to read very early, do you keep reading for fun? what's your favorite book?

she did! she was in the guinness book of world records as having the world's longest hair! she still has the hair too. i love reading for fun but often find myself using that time to write instead. i have so many favorite books!

A few years ago I was at DragonCon in Atlanta and I'm in line with two of my friends waiting to get into a panel. We're stuck in the same place for about 30 minutes.

About 5 minutes in this beautiful redhead and her friend come up with a guy in a con badge. They stand next to me for fifteen minutes and I'm not listening to the conversation (since that would be rude) but I get the feeling I know this redhead from somewhere, and I'm asking my buddies if they recognize you. They both draw blanks.

Anyway, eventually the conversation ends and I can see the beautiful redhead and her friend walk down the hill. The con guy sees me and my buddies and talks us up, asks how we're enjoying the con, etc.

I ask "who was that?" and sure enough, it was you. I hadn't seen you in a few years (since Urban Legend) so I didn't recognize you right off the bat. You had to leave town in a hurry though and get back to the airport.

Missed my chance to try and chat with you in person. Oh well...

Anyway thanks for Dune and all the other projects you've worked on. I miss the times on Cybill when you'd just sit down and start playing the piano.

awwww! i remember that well! I was in town with my short film, Belinda's Swan Song. i was a bit mystified as to why they had accepted it (it isn't sci-fi) but then when i got there i realized it was because of the David Lynch connection haha.

Okay no more FLUFF questions! Let's get down to what's really important:

What was your highest score on Galaga? I read you were an avid player at one time.

YES! ok my highest score- shoot i'm trying to remember. i've definitely gotten to stage 34. i remember that.

I actually remember seeing you on "That's Incredible" ages ago. How did you get to be featured on that show?

i had been in Good Housekeeping before that- my mom had sent a picture of me reading the magazine to the editor thinking it might get printed. when it did, that's incredible ended up calling. and that led to Dune! it's a weird world- i'm so grateful for the timing of everything, always. otherwise i never would have probably considered a career as an actor- i grew up in worcester, ma so that wasn't really something i had any exposure to there.

Do you know—I mean, do you have any idea—how your performance opposite Crispin Glover in David Lynch's Hotel Room haunts me to this day? Or how mad I was at Cybill Shepherd when she interrupted Zoey when she was about to take a topless photo of herself to send to Fidel Castro? And how could you not laugh when Ray Wise was singing and dancing and you were playing the piano on Twin Peaks? And do I sound like a stalker or someone with perfect memory?

what a wonderful compliment!! thank you so very much- and you sound like you have an INSANE memory! i don't even remember the topless pic to fidel castro haha!

What is your favorite show on television?

MAD MEN!!!!!

Hmm, you might have to dredge your mind a bit for memories of this... but what was it like working with John Waters?

amazing!!!!! see response above ^ (thank you!)

Hello, I recently watched the documentary of Dune from jodorowsky. Do you think that there would be a chance that you choose to be part of it if it would be possible to do it nowadays?

yes for sure! i would LOVE to. perhaps now i'd be the right age to play lady jessica depending on how old she was. in the lynch version, i believe francesca annis was exactly my age, 38 (kyle machlaclan who played her son paul was 21)

One of your co-stars, Jared Leto, went on to have a very successful career in music to the point where I think he is now thought of as a musician first and an actor second. What was he like on set? Did you guys discuss the music business alot? Why do you think so many movie stars want to be rock stars and so many rock stars want to be movie stars? Wait a minute...who the hell doesn't want to be a rock star AND a movie star!

at the time i wasn't thinking of anything having to do with having a music career- i was not even writing songs in earnest yet. he was already playing shows and taking it very seriously though, even back in 1998. i think he rocks.

Is your music good enough to listen to on an mp3 player or do I need to keep staring at cleavage while you perform?

hmmm... both? haha

Do you prefer to go by "ah-LEE-shuh" or "uh-lih-shuh"? Or do you have a different preferred pronunciation?

ahLEEshuh! and you can call me 'al' as well. or a-dub. lots of friends do!

Hi Alicia,

What was your favorite memory while working on The Sopranos?

is it inappropriate to say the big scene with Michael Imperioli where i'm giving him script notes and then- we fall into bed? i can't lie. it was fun.

Do you speak any other languages? If not, which would you want to learn?

i have always wanted to learn italian! i actually downloaded a free app and have been playing word games in my spare time to try and learn a little something, instead of continuing with my Words with Friends addiction haha. but i'll probably buy Rosetta Stone and do it for real. i have many close italian friends (and i'm 1/4 italian with- we think- ancestors still over there) so i would have people to practice with.

Hello, what advice do you have to aspiring actors and musicians?

be true to yourself. if you believe in yourself, so will others. be prepared to fail over and over again. if that doesn't take you down, you WILL succeed. i swear.

What role would you love to play?

any role that is different than ones i've done before! all i want to do is keep doing things that scare me- things that challenge me. have always tried to not play the same role over and over again

You had amazing chemistry with Timothy Olyphant in Justified! Your role in general was pretty incredible overall, but you you two together really struck me as the most natural pairing of the season.

I have two questions, I suppose: If you could only recommend one of your songs for someone to listen to, which would it be? Also, is your southern accent a natural accent or practiced? it sounded very genuine (I'm from the South, I hear a lot of them.)

thank you!! i wouldn't have minded if they'd gone in that direction haha. but i think in a way it was even more interesting chemistry because they didn't- and because it would have been a very very unlikely pairing. it's like there was this understanding between those characters that, under a different circumstance, maybe- but there was a real respect undercutting all the tension. songwise: hmmm. i'd say anything off the new (unreleased) album but in the meantime why don't you check out something off my "Live at Rockwood" album? or my music video for "Anyway". and no i'm not southern! i just try and listen closely. i've done quite a few variations on the regional southern accent before and worked with a dialect coach once focusing on the florida everglades sound - with the understanding that Wendy has more of an education than her redneck bros and is trying to seem a bit more 'cultured'.

Hi Alicia! As a fellow amateur pianist I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me with your music. Also, what was the first song you played on the piano? At what point did you realize you can make a career out of it?

thank you so much! i'm glad- i started out as a classically trained pianist and always wanted to do my own songs live. it wasn't until about 7 years ago that i started doing it in earnest- on a professional level. i never knew that i could make a career of it. i was just so grateful that people would come to hear me and come back and buy my music. it's an honor i'll never stop being thrilled by.

Alicia, I have loved you since your days on Cybill. I was around Zoe's age at that time and a lot of things you did with that character resonated with me growing up. I loved how you played your own piano. My mom used to coax me into practicing more whenever she saw you play on the TV show and say "you can be as good as her!"

How different were you from the character you played on Cybill and how have you changed personally and professionally since those days?

that's so cool!! i was different in some ways from Zoey and very similar in others. it's no secret that there was some, er, tension- on that set- so the thing that was similar was that when everyone was stressed, i was the only one that got to maintain a sense of not giving a sh*& haha. i didn't have to put on a bright smile if i didn't feel like it. the big difference of course was that i had moved out on my own when i was 17 and had been supporting myself more or less as a pianist for a year before that- making a living as i worked on having a career as an actor full time.

Hi Alicia! I can't wait to hear your new album! Who suggested you to do "StageIt" last year? It was extremely great! Hope you will tour Japan someday!

aw thank you Makiko! i heard about stageit from several musician friends of mine who said it rocked- and a costume designer i worked with is married to one of the guys who founded it so they helped hook it up!

We don't hear about this too much from actors over a certain level, but what do you think about some of the changing faces of the acting world? Specifically the near ubiquity of Casting Director workshops and the increasing pay-to-play nature of getting your foot in the door over the last ten years or so?

that's BS. in my opinion. i think what's cool about present times tho is that ANYONE can get their work out there. if you have a kickass idea and talent, why not just film it and put it up on youtube? DIY.

Hi, Alicia! Have you keep in touch with any of your fellow Urban Legends cast?

i haven't! i've run into all of them over the years tho.

Do you have any stories from working on "Bongwater"? I can't say I loved that movie but your performance was fantastic.

oh, how sweet of you to say! i really appreciate that. so many stories- the two that come to mind are getting to finally meet and work with the beautiful brittany murphy. at that point our paths had nearly crossed so many times, being peers and all- i will always remember her beautiful laugh and how she lit up a room just by walking into it. i still can't believe she has been so long gone. second memory is courtney love coming up to me at a party to say hi- did you know that the book was based on her young adulthood in portland? I knew it when i first signed on to make the movie. we weren't trying to make it about her or base it on her or anything like that- but it was written by one of the men whose, um, path she crossed haha.

First off, you're awesome in the show, my personal favorite of the Crowe's besides Darrel. Second, are you punk rocker underneath it all? If so, you should dress like it for an episode to throw people off...

i'd love to! i was thrilled that i got to dress a bit punky on Law and Order. Detective Falacci always wore her thick eyeliner and rocker tshirts under her badge and gun. that was a fun character!!

What's you favorite urban legend?

Thanks for doing this AMA!

well i sure never walk under a ladder- but that was before i even did Urban Legend

You were at first famous for being a child prodigy. I believe your parents set you on the path of being a concert pianist and you grew to not like it. What you recommend to parents who have genius children and bring out their potential?

that's not true- to set the record straight i did start out as a classical pianist but really i did my first movie the same year i won my first competition (Dune, filmed in 1983 when i was 7). i was going strong as a classical pianist but came to realize when i was about 12, 13 that that wasn't what i wanted to do as a career- and they supported me every step of the way. my mom moved out to LA with me when i was 14 as i started auditioning for films/tv in earnest. my parents have been my biggest fans my entire life- i know how lucky i am to have that gift.

Hey thanks for doing this AMA, as a songwriter, what inspires you and what was your most unexpected source of inspiration?

for sure my greatest source of inspiration is just life. i'm constantly jotting down lyrics, coming up with ideas that may or may not fully gel into a completed song. but it's true that from the greatest highs and lows, if you're willing to let them, the greatest transformations can come- and the most honest creative work.

Where did you first learn to act?

i'm stilll learning! have never had any formal training.

What time in your life/career were you the happiest & why?

right NOW! because everything is open and new and i am in a place of great transition. getting to work on Justified and i'm about to do a play- changing the people i'm working with and surrounding myself with integrity and honesty.