Have you ever worked with Eric Stoltz before?
No. He's very sweet. We'd met once years before, just as I was about to shoot the pilot of "The X-Files" in Vancouver. But we've never worked together before and it's been fun. He's as enthusiastic about the piece as I am and he's just a fun, laid-back kind of guy.
What about Dan Ackroyd?
I'd never met him before and I'd heard that he was a really sweet guy, very conscientious, very much a gentleman, and very funny. Anthony LaPaglia and I were speaking to him earlier today and he was talking about his friendship with James Brown and how he's known him for years. Anthony said "I get the sense that you know everybody", and he does. He knows everybody! He's very interesting to talk to.
"The House of Mirth" is set in 1900s high society. What relevance does it have to today?
Well I think that today high society is big business, and it's more extravagant. The issue of power and influence is greater than it ever has been in history, and the challenge that Lily has in the movie is choosing between big business or a simple life. And I think that we all have that choice. We all can choose to keep it simple or focus on material things, money, and power. I think it's very relevant and there are lessons to be learned from it.
