1. I rescued my dog Lucy after she tried to go home in someone’s car and was left in the Hollywood Hills.
2. I rescued my dog Josephine in Austin on my way to a Black Crowes concert. Her name comes from their song “Oh Josephine.”
3. I am allergic to eggplant.
4. I played Dolly in my high school production of Hello, Dolly when I was 16.
5. The first movie I did was The Brothers McMullen. It won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1995.
6. My second time at Sundance was exactly 20 years later for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. It won the Grand Jury Prize too.
7. I started working on a documentary about Ethiopian orphans more than 10 years ago. It’s still not finished.
8. I did, however, adopt my son, Yoby [4], from Ethiopia in 2011.
9. He is the best person I know.
10. I am not biased.
11. I have a 1972 Mustang convertible lovingly named Scarlett.
12. I used to drive it back and forth between Austin and L.A. when I was filming Friday Night Lights.
13. The first TV show I ever did was Ellen in 1996.
14. My father had a PhD in physics.
15. Physics was the only class in which I got an F in high school.
16. My son’s favorite song from Nashville is “Wrong Song.”
17. I can sing the soundtrack to The Sound of Music from beginning to end.
18. When I majored in Chinese, I imagined becoming an ambassador. Now I’m a United Nations goodwill ambassador.
19. In 2011, I directed and produced short films about foster children in L.A. for the Children’s Action Network.
20. I’m an excellent hula-hooper.
21. Even with two hoops.
22. My son has lived most of his life in Nashville. We like it there.
23. I am a terrible cook.
24. Except for eggs. I cook excellent eggs.
25. My son’s favorite kind are poached. We call them “Yoby eggs.”
Nashville airs on ABC Wednesdays at 10 p.m.
