I think Woody Allen is pretty much of a genius. I'm thinking of filmmakers every century or two, but I've never had the luck to meet them. People who create their absolutely own world and are totally inimitable.

You become very angry and depressed that you keep getting offered only these exceedingly demure and repressed roles. They're so not me. That's why films like Fight Club were so important to me because I think I confounded certain stereotypes and limited perceptions of what I could do as an actress.

It took me ages to grow into being a woman, into being happy with it.

I'm drawn to emotionally damaged characters because there is more to unlock.

I just went and got an agent because I thought I can create my own world - you can't right your own life, but you can escape to a world where you can have control.

People have lots of misconceptions about me. My mum, who is half French and half Spanish, gets outraged when I'm called quintessentially English. I owe my looks to my mum-which was 90 percent of getting my first job. And, some people would argue, 90 percent of my entire career.

I hate this image of me as a prim Edwardian. I want to shock everyone.