So, how did you get in touch with your own inner "phone sex operator"? Was it hard to tap into that sexuality, fun, or funny?
"It was such incredible fun! Because our goal wasn't to make a phone sex documentary, we just tried to entertain and be as funny as we could within the world we were creating. It was an incredibly freeing and fun thing to do. In the writing process, it was all about making Katie, my writing partner, laugh, and on set, it was about making Ari and everyone else laugh. If everyone was laughing when Jamie yelled 'cut!,' we knew we had succeeded. I love to push things as close to the line as possible. For example, during our training montage, it was about just letting go, since that is what Lauren was supposed to be doing. And, who doesn't like to let go and fake orgasm into a telephone in front on 30 strangers?"
What is the strangest thing you and a friend have ever bonded over? Why was it weird?
"When I was 12, I went to my first summer of sleep-away camp and became friends with a great girl named Joyce. We instantly bonded the first night of camp because we were the only girls in our bunk who hadn't gotten our periods yet or kissed boys. The other girls would be talking about sharing tampons or pads and Joyce and I just giggled on our beds together! And of course, we dreamed of kissing all the boys at camp. Too bad they didn't want to kiss us!"
Do you live in New York? If so, what survival tactics have you employed? If not, why not?
"I do not live in NY anymore, but I did for two years during college. While I never needed any real survival tactics (phew!), the thing that helped me navigate the city was having great friends. My friends Shala and Kyle (who I met on AOL Instant Messenger before college began) were my family for those two years. We didn't have tons of money, so we had fun finding great small places to eat (like Yaffa Cafe in the East Village), going to flea markets, spending time in the park (the man on the hill in Central Park was our fave!), and making fun things together. Because we were at fashion school, we were very crafty. We made jewelry, ties, and of course, lots of clothes. They were (and still are) my family!"
Photo: Courtesy of Focus Features