I'm not a period babe. Not at all.

I danced a lot when I was younger, and I've always had decent, shapely legs and thought it's now or never. I mean, when you're pushing 40, are you really going to wander around in a dress that's midthigh length?

Ah, my dad's whistle. On holidays when I was a kid, we would all be off in the rock pools along the beach. When it came time to go, we'd hear the whistle and we'd all come running. Like dogs!

There's not an awful lot that embarrasses me. I'm the kind of actress that absolutely believes in exposing myself.

I'd much rather be known as some curvy Kate than as some skinny stick.

So I won an Oscar. It's amazing. I've got that for the rest of my life for a performance I am proud of. It nearly killed me. I am really proud of the film. That's it, moving on.

I was the kid who never won the races. I never jumped the highest. I wasn't on the list of the high-achieving.