■ Now that it’s closer, I think about death all the time. There’s nothing morbid about that. The first thing the Buddhists have you do is meditate on death to get over the fear. Nobody escapes it. Just get used to it.

■ In Hollywood, I had a wardrobe person ask me, “Are you from Chicago?” I said, “Yes.” She goes, “You hang your clothes up.” In theater in Chicago, we knew that if we didn’t hang our clothes up, next time we came, they’d be right where we left them.

■ I am an alone person, but I’m not a lonely person. Solitude’s essential. Sometimes I go my whole day without talking to someone.

■ I’ve always found a way to isolate myself. [Early on,] I had an insecurity about my own abilities. I played the arrogant, insecure person, which is a very hard person to be around. Now I’m much more willing to be a part of a group.

■ One day I was drinking all the time, and the next I wasn’t. I didn’t know why. It wasn’t discipline. I really, truly had a spiritual experience. I was tapped on the shoulder by the sober fairy. I was afraid to lose it, so I started going to AA. Some people go to AA for years and never get the miracle. They white-knuckle it a day at a time. The only thing I did was show up. I had a sponsor the way I dated, which is every once in a while I would pick somebody up. Sometimes doing it your way just leads to disaster, but it worked for me.

■ I was 49 or 50 when Glee happened. It was glorious and unexpected. I was aware I was breathing rarefied air. I enjoyed everything. I’d never done press before. I got to go to award shows. People were coming up, saying, “Hey, I’ll design a dress for you.” I’m like, “Oh, OK.” It would have been different [in my 20s]. I would have felt like I didn’t deserve it. I probably would have spent all the money on stupid things.

■ The Enneagram is an interesting personality test. I found out that I’m a [type] 1. I follow the rules and keep things in order so that I don’t get overwhelmed. I’m easily overwhelmed. My house is so organized. I’ve got an unorganized outfit on right now, but it’s all checks. This is me going off the reservation.

■ Marcus Aurelius was the emperor of Rome. He lived during wars and plagues. He lost many children. And he was a really wise, compassionate man who dealt with what was right in front of him. For just a week, every day, read his Meditations. It’s about having the discipline to sit for a moment and ask yourself, What can I control and what can I not control? He’s an example of how to live a life.

■ I don’t believe in causes anymore. I think they give us a false sense of power. I don’t go to those community meetings where they’re like, “Democracy is falling apart. What can we do about it?” No, I’m going to be nice to the barista. I’m going to go to my book club. There are several organizations in Santa Barbara that help people make ends meet. That, I’ll do. It’s right there in front of me.