Female roles in comedies are usually quite silly, I think.

I don't think of myself as a terribly confident person. But I have a survival mechanism that was instilled in me by my mother.

I got knockback after knockback at auditions. Just before ‘Mulholland Dr.’ my agent told me I was so intense I was freaking people out. She told me I was a brilliant actor but the feedback was that I made people feel uncomfortable because I was so nervous and intense. I just sat there and blubbed. My mum was staying in LA at the time and I went to her and said: ‘I just can’t do this. I’m not cut out for it.’ She just said: ‘Don’t believe a word people say about you. Forget them.’

I think I have better taste now than I did then.

I consider myself British and have very happy memories of the UK. I spent the first 14 years of my life in England and never wanted to leave. When I was in Australia I went back to England a lot.

I have a bit of a frustrated dancer in me.

I think in my 20s I was just all about having fun.