"My friend Daniel Patterson gave me this book and told me it is one of his favorite books that he’s ever read. Beatty’s use of language and humor is complex and layered, unfolding more and more each time you read it. It is also a book that has taught me—as a Dane—a great deal about the predominant culture in the West — America."

"Starlite Walker by Silver Jews. This doesn’t get talked about too much because people tend to talk about American Water when they talk about Silver Jews. This is the best album though. The first song “Trains Across the Sea” has the same chords as our song “The Wall.” David Berman is my favorite lyricist ever; I love his book of poems called Actual Air."

"This is my favorite movie. I have seen it more times than any other film, and I will watch it any time it is on. The relationship between Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter is one of my favorites in all of cinema. Jodie Foster’s performance in this movie resonated with me so intensely and is a huge reason why I wanted to become an actor."

"I saw Mulholland Dr. when it came out, and I was already into Lynch. God, what do you say? On a first viewing it’s so confusing, but it’s also so thrilling to watch. It’s sensual, and it turns you on in all the right ways and confuses you in all the right ways. It’s a pinnacle of moviemaking and probably my favorite Lynch, aside from Inland Empire."

"I always grew up loving Life Is Beautiful. It was one of my dad’s favorite movies, and the story is just so moving. You know, the ultimate sacrifice that a parent makes for their kid is just… I mean, the fear that must have gone along with it, but that will to overcome it for the sake of your child is just gut-wrenching."

"Krush Groove is awesome because it has all the old hip-hop people that I like. You know, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, who I love, Fat Boys, Sheila E. One of my favorite scenes in any movie is in that movie when Run comes out and he’s like “We have a whole lot of superstars…” It just gives me goosebumps when I watch it."

"I thought for years that Wings of Desire was my favorite film. It might still be; I’m not sure. It’s filled with so many beautiful images, and the score by Jürgen Knieper is one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever heard. I went to the movie theater alone and was high for days after seeing this. Peter Falk is incredible in this as well."

"There’s an old movie that Rita Hayworth was in that I really loved because I thought she was just smokin’ in it. [Gilda.] She just reminds me of all the girls that I want to be with. It was a movie where she was driving all the men crazy. I was going crazy, too. [My] favorite female actresses: Rita Hayworth, Ingrid Bergman. And Evan Rachel Wood."

"The Thin Red Line is my favorite film, and that’s probably the film that had the most impact on me as a human being. I feel like it really rescued me from a depression and gave me a lot of faith in people. I just thought it was beautiful. I saw it when I was nineteen or twenty. I’m a huge fan of Terrence Malick’s work."