Filmmaker Michael Mann was a huge “NYPD Blue” fan. He originally thought I could play Val Kilmer’s wife (brilliantly played by Ashley Judd), but I was not interested in playing another woman in a men-with-guns vehicle. I didn’t get it. When we met, I told him so, and he realized then that I needed to play Eady – who was also not interested in men with guns. The gift, of course, was working with Robert DeNiro, who was warm, gracious, and funny. Ease in front of the camera is what I learned from Bob. Before “Heat,” I thought screen acting was the same as stage acting — preparing a performance and hoping the camera would capture it. From Bob – a consummate film actor – I understood that authentic screen acting is not about performing as much as being. Allowing the camera to observe us, even when we think we’re not “doing anything.” “Heat” was another game changer in my career and personal artistry.