I got into shape because I took kick-boxing lessons every day to prepare for a fight scene with Taylor Lautner. I really wanted to lie down and eat Chinese food but I kick-boxed every morning and ran. If someone was filming you with your kit off you'd do the same thing.

My mom who's been in the restaurant business for 40 years is the number-one influence in my life. But I look up to a lot of people in the industry. Tops on my list is Mario Batali. My mom and Mario taught me the same lesson: Food is love.

You always fear when you're making a movie that has a moral to the story that people are going to reject the idea of being taught a lesson.

Fear is not a good teacher. The lessons of fear are quickly forgotten.

He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.

My big philosophy is: Try and work with good people because the process is your life. That's going to be really really hard. I'm glad I learned the lesson 'Failure is OK.'

The failure of academic feminists to recognize difference as a crucial strength is a failure to reach beyond the first patriarchal lesson. In our world divide and conquer must become define and empower.

It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.

You can never regret anything you do in life. You kind of have to learn the lesson from whatever the experience is and take it with you on your journey forward.

Wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience not the lessons of retirement and leisure. Great necessities call out great virtues.