1. What do you like best about your work? I am so very thankful to be someone who gets to define ‘work’ synonymously with ‘what I love’. What I like best is digging in deep. I have a love and appreciation for human emotion and relationships. How they work. How they don’t. Why we do what we do and how, through storytelling, we can open someone’s eyes to create compassion or understanding. There is something so satisfying about getting to explore different parts of yourself to make a new character come alive. When I get a script and work on it, I’m allowed to find and explore all the reasons why a character may do something one way or another, it’s a bit like I get to live many lives.
2. What is your most memorable experience in show business? The funny thing is that the experience that comes to mind was very early on, and shared with only myself. There was this moment when I first moved to LA after graduating from Middlebury where I was standing in my room looking out the window at dusk (how poetic this is sounding), and I had just signed with my first agent. It had little to do with the particular agent or any particular job, but I had this moment with myself where I realized I was really doing this. I had, inside myself, made a promise to follow this dream, all else be damned. The next one after that would be my first opening night of an off Broadway production. There’s no rush like that.
3. What is your favorite thing in your closet? Clothes come and go, but in the corner of my closet is a box that holds a red haired wig that I bought on the street in New York City. I wore this wig in a production of “David’s Redahaired Death” by Sherry Kramer. I performed this production as my senior thesis work in college. It’s an amazing two woman play about the relationship between two friends who share love, loss and fear. Although both characters have red hair in the show, we (my scene partner and I) both decided to wear wigs and although now my hair is dyed red for “Smallville” (how fitting), I keep this wig to remind me of something that I created with people I adore.
4. Who is your favorite designer? I tend to pick and choose clothes that I love from all over, but Morgan Le Fay is a designer that I love. Her dresses always seem to fit like they were made for you and the style is one that I always feel beautiful wearing. They can be the most simple and elegant, or fun and funky. There’s an unassuming elegance to her pieces. They are just perfect.
5. Who are your influences? My family continues to play an enormous role in my life. My parents are the greatest supporters and teachers I’ve known, and my two older brothers, who are also actors, have inspired me since I was born. Although there are many actors, artists and close friends I admire, I try to be influenced by all types of stimulus. I believe there’s something to be learned from everyone. There’s a quote out there in quote-land that says something to the effect of, “The smartest man is the one who knows he’ll never know everything.” However, actors that have inspired me include Laura Linney, Emma Thompson and Juliette Binoche. There’s something so wonderfully effortless seeming to their talent. And I recently listened to an NPR interview with Terrence Howard. He blew me away.
6. Where did you learn to act? The easy answer would be: life. We never stop learning how to act, which is why if we stick with it, we (hopefully) become like a fine wine with age. Life experience is the best thing you can do for an acting career. I also have been watching my brothers on stage since I can remember. Academically, however, I studied acting at various places: Middlebury College, The Actors Center, and most recently at PlayhouseWest. PlayhouseWest was the secret ingredient, in my mind. This school took all the training I have had throughout my years, and made it real, honest and relevant. I can’t tell you what a gift it is to find not only teachers but a group of people with whom you feel comfortable enough to truly explore your craft. I hope I find many people like this along the way.
7. What do you do for fun? I love all that surrounds music: listening, playing, dancing… My brother, Clark and I play in a band with our friend Andy Mitton. We’re called The Real D’Coy. Due to busy schedules we haven’t been playing as much as we’d like, but music is a healing element. I am convinced of that. I love to travel. Preferably with a friend that maybe I don’t get to see on a regular basis. And that lends itself to speaking new languages, finding new cultures and experiencing other ways of life. I also spend a lot of time with my dog, Shasta. Filming “Smallville” in Vancouver has allowed us to explore the nature of the northwest, which is spectacular. I love to cook, especially soups. I know, it sounds odd, but soup is the best meal out there. And when I’m home, we break out the table games, Rummekub being the game of choice. My mother always takes the longest turns, but she also often wins, go figure.