It's a funny thing about being raised Catholic and then going to Catholic schools with nuns - the cliche about the mean nun was not what I had at all. They were very, very smart, devoted individuals.
I was the second oldest of seven children, and chores were a way of life for us. If your task wasn't completed, you were called right back to finish it.
I remember, as a young Catholic girl in high school, seeing 'The Exorcist,' and it scared the wits out of me.
When I think of those in the 'far right' or those who are pro-life to the extreme and at all costs protect the unborn, the thing that enrages me is you want to ask every one of them, 'How many foster children are in your home now?'
My father, John, ran the Dowd Insurance Co. in town, which was started by his great-grandfather. My mother, Dolores, was a homemaker who kept an eye on all of us.
The first time I read 'Leftovers,' I didn't get it at all.
In my experience as an actor over so many years, I don't know when I have been touched so deeply on so many levels as I have been by 'The Leftovers' in my three years there. It is a profound exploration of life, of grief, of loss.
I think 'The Leftovers' is one of the most extraordinary shows that has ever seen the light of day.
It's a question of dropping the armor and getting up and doing the work you want to do. And film at first is frightening because you are like, 'What's that camera doing?' But then it becomes family and therefore a really wonderful experience.
