Do you think you're powerful yourself? Because of your success?
I guess. I don't look at it that way. I think that if you do good work consistently that will open doors and you become credible and your professionalism is respected. As far as wielding power? Yes, I do have power.

For example, in the whole Damages team I'm very aware that every single member of the team needs to feel important and that they’re doing good work. That's why as the leader of the Damages team, as the lead actor, I go out of my way to make sure that people, even if they come on for one scene or the guy who brings you the food every day, that they always feel important.

Are people afraid of you?
Yeah, I think so, for a little bit. We set a very high bar; we have very good actors on Damages. People come into the show because they want to work with who's there and they're challenged by that.

How was it working with Ted, did you enjoy that?
Oh yeah. I personally didn't have that many scenes with Ted but they were wonderful. What I loved was watching what he did throughout the season. What he did, I thought, was spectacular work. Funny and horrible. He created, with the wonderful writing, this awful narcissist. But not just the bad guy, just complicated. You watch him and you find yourself laughing because he's so awful. But he's no fool. He's just so self-involved but he's no fool.

When you're filming something so serious is there opportunity to have a laugh on set?
All the time!

You don't stay in character?
Oh good god no! I take my dogs to work, you know. Sometimes, you'll never know, but one of my dogs will be lying under my desk in a scene. The guys, the writers, they work so hard that they have to be very serious but they're all incredibly funny.

In fact, they helped me do this tribute to Robin Williams. I couldn't go but they helped me. I dressed up as Jenny Fields who's his mother in The World According To Garp. They helped me say something very rude and very funny that I haven't said in a while and won't repeat! And Tate Donovan, and Rose, they're both very funny too. Rose has had several giggling fits.