Mum had a job fitting upholstery into cars, but, in the evenings, she worked as a seamstress.

In America they like my spicy TV alter ego, probably because there were a lot of Italians and Hispanics in the country, but the real L.A. life is a hard-working one.

I love reading. I'm very much into history, novels, biographies and I have a wide range of thrillers.

I'm with people all the time so I often go away on my own.

I don't like myself. I'm not vain at all. I hate looking at myself - I always think I look ugly. Honest.

I think school is so important. I was good student. A rebel, but I did well in my studies. I don't close myself to anything. I liked reading and I still love learning. I loved history and German.

When I was 10, I knew there was something different about me. Everyone was football-mad, but I just wanted to watch musicals and see art.