Jeffrey Bell

What television gets to do, and there's a reason why 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' works as well as it does, is that it deals with the relationships. It deals with the very small, interpersonal ways that people both love and hate each other.

I really do believe that no one is too pious to fall or too far gone to be redeemed in some way. Jaime Lannister on 'Game of Thrones' did terrible things, and now I feel so bad for him because his sister won't kiss him. Isn't that weird? Does she not love him? He lost a hand! It kills me that I care.

We only had a couple of ways for people to hate us on 'X-Files,' including still writing actual fan letters. Now people can instantly tell you, 'Oh my God, I love you,' or 'Oh my God, you are the worst person on the planet.' They actually had to hate you enough or love you enough to write a letter, put a stamp on it and send it.

A lot of new dads don't realise that you can't take your 5-year-old along to see something like 'The Avengers.' Modern superhero films are too violent, and the dialogue is far too convoluted for a child.

My parents brought us up in a very clever way, which was that they saw what we were interested in naturally, and then they encouraged whatever that may be. When I started sharing a keen interest in drama and the theater, instead of steering me away from it, they encouraged me to see plays and think about drama school.