'The Avengers' happened because I'm friends with Joss Whedon, and he sort of brought me into the mix when they were looking for Maria Hill.

I'm just looking for really good projects with varying characters - ones I haven't done before - so I can continue to grow as an actress.

I'm always looking for interesting stories, and I feel in independent film there's more opportunity.

I would really love to sit with Kathryn Hepburn because I find her so interesting.

There are two kinds of people in crisis situations - those who fight and those who freeze. I'm a freezer, and that's just going by the couple of surprise birthday parties I've had thrown for me.

I seek out things that terrify me, like an improv class. I'm terrified of sharks, but I scuba dive. I'm not good at auditioning, but I force myself to do it all the time. I've never met anybody who is fearless, but the more you push against your own boundaries, the easier it becomes to push.