Who are your influences?
The obvious ones really. I saw a movie with De Niro and Meryl Streep last night, I can't remember the freaking name but every word she says, she believes.

She does it for you.
She does it for me.

What about men?
They do it for me. (much laughter) I love Russell Crowe because he's just so confident and he doesn't seem to give a shit.

Do you take drugs?
I have done and I've promised myself that I won't do anymore.

Why?
Oh God, everyone's going to find out!

It's an understanding audience.
(laughs) I'm going to regret this. I did the whole testing of all different types and one day I took too much ecstasy at Dodgers Stadium.

Strewth!
(laughs) Yeah, no wonder I've got a fear of crowds now! It really affected me and it fucks up your perception of what is and what isn't real but it was actually a blessing because at that age you are always wondering who and where you are and on that day the floodgates opened and everything came out. I don't do it anymore.

Now when do you think you'd get back on stage?
Um..I'd probably have to grow some bollocks first! (laughter) I'd like to establish myself in film first and just get my chops up.

Get your whats up?
My chops, that's very American I'm sorry. Get my bearings and figure out where I want to go and I need to get better. I learned a lot on Dead Babies, a lot.

How long was the shoot?
Let me see, we started rehearsing in September and we finished the shoot in late October so it was quick, low budget so everything is quick. I loved working with Paul Bettany, he's a nutcase and I love him. He's very professional and, unfortunately, I didn't manage to see Gangster Number 1 and I loved David Thewlis. Chris Marshall who played the other American was brilliant too, he's shooting 4 Feathers in Morocco at the moment. It was fun meeting Martin Amis as well, we went to dinner with him at some Indian dive out in Buttfuck Egypt! (much laughter) Sorry, another American term! So much swearing, better wash my mouth out with a cigarette. He was brilliant anyway and he couldn't even remember how the book ended, he probably wrote it in some hostel in the 70's or something. He looked around and saw a lot of his characters sitting around him, apart from me because I had clothes on and no red wig, but good to meet another legend.

What character would you most like to play?
I could say the obvious like Juliet but I'd just like to play strong characters, I hate to be so vain but roles where you can show the journey from the start to end where she's learnt something. I love characters that are true to life but also extreme characters like Roxanne.

Do you only ever want to act?
No, it's funny but when I was a kid my mum put me on this show called Star Search, she dyed my hair white/blonde and it was a nightmare, I try to forget it. They asked me back, I'd won the acting category once and they asked me back to sing and that's something that I've always wanted to do. I'm not sure if I have a good voice but more of a rock chick, that's my dream.

You play the piano don't you?
God you've done your homework haven't you? I play by ear only, I've never been able to read music and my family have tried to provide lessons for me but I have such a short attention span.

It's really terribly dull.
Oh, don't I know it! I just turn the lights off and play by myself.

Erm…fast running out of questions…
Oh that's OK, I'm not very interesting. Let's talk about you.

No, let's not.
You're interesting though. Why have you shaved your head? I like that you have a beard and no hair. Why did you do that?

Listen, I'm asking the damn questions here!
Oh I know you are but just tell me that.

Fine!
(There followed a Q&A reversal of around 5 minutes, a thing that has never happened before and which, luckily for you, I chose not to record.)

You've exhausted both me and my meagre selection of questions now. Let me do a quick fire.
I like that, throw them at me!

Are you religious?
I hate to say religious so I'm going to go with spiritual. I've been there and done that whole born again thing, religious people can be so close-minded and that was never my thing. I think we are all here for a reason so I'm looking for the whole picture rather than 'my way is right.' I think they all represent the same thing, pure love and acceptance.

That's…reasonably quick I suppose. What's your favourite restaurant?
In LA I like a place called Maurice - it's like a Benihana. I like watching them cook, throw it around and make volcanoes out of onions and things like that. That's kinda cool.

What's the worst thing about acting?
Waiting for jobs, the low point in between work.

Who's your film icon?
Spencer Tracey.

Favourite film?
My favourite chick-flick has gotta be Room With A View. Do you want me to say another?

No, I think you should shut up now.
(much laughter) OK!

Do you gamble?
Daily. (more laughter)

What's your favourite Shakespeare play?
The Taming of the Shrew.

Do you like baseball?
Didn't you ask me that earlier?

I really don't know. That's only 7 and there should be 10.
What's my favourite colour?

I don't know.
(laughter) Green.

Democrat or Republican?
Neither. I try to stay clear of all that. I think they both suck! (laughter) I suppose it would be Gore because he's pro choice and anti death penalty.

Do you watch the Simpsons?
Best programme ever made. Frasier is also brilliant.

OK. Here's another question. What do you do in the lulls between jobs?
I don't wait tables anymore, I did that for too long and I won't now. I'm working like everybody else right now and it's a great company - can I drop a name?

Drop whatever you like.
(laughter) I'm assisting Marjory Bach whose sister is Barbara Bach who's husband is Ringo Star. (mimics Ringo - much laughter) Brilliant company called Bitmax and they are a digital asset management company. We have a lot of talent coming in to put there stuff onto DVD - in fact we are dealing with a favourite of mine at the moment called Godly & Cream.

What and cream?
Godly and Cream. I'm auditioning over here and I had an agent for about 6 months but they kinda wasted my time. They've only just figured out that I'm an adult and not a kid, so I'm in that awful stage of waiting for my film to come out, hoping someone will see it and notice that I've got a little of something. I wish I could say that I'm going to an acting class to keep up but I'm really not.

Do you read?
I don't read a lot of fiction and I'm a lot more interested in working on myself and I think that that's the best way to learn how to act - to just observe life.

You are half English are you not?
I am, my mum's British, she was born in Newcastle - I've got Geordie blood. Her mum met an American in Dover when my mum was 5 - they were Mormons.

Wow!
Yup. They moved to Utah with all the other Mormons, found Jesus but my mum didn't so she moved to LA (laughter).

Where's Jesus?!
Where the Hell is he?! He's not in the temple and he's not wearing garments! (much laughter). She met my father in at the Hilton in LA, she wanted to be an actress actually but it didn't happen - the rest is history, real interesting huh?!