On acting

© Down With Love - Eigentum des Jeweiligen Studios/Vertriebes

Looking at your career, you seem to choose roles that you have to really explore beforehand to get into character. 
Playing characters like that brings me so much more than I ever hoped for. I learn so much and I understand so much more - it really is an exploration. I don't necessarily identify with my characters, but it's as if they accompany me in life and they teach me things about myself. In Miss Potter for example, I played a woman who completely and instinctively broke the rules and codes of her time, which really makes me appreciate how free we are today.  

What qualities have helped you to go the distance as an actress?
My value system, for sure. I try to be as professional as possible. I don’t let celebrity come between myself and my job, and I don’t let material matters interfere with me and my decisions. I’m just glad to have enough money to be able to take care of myself and I know when enough is enough. I won’t let myself get spoilt.

Do you have a thing about playing English characters? This is your third English role!
Maybe I do…I just hope that people will be OK with my interpretation of such a famous English figure.

If your acting career ended, what would you do with yourself?
I’m not sure. There are plenty of things I’d like to do, but I like to keep my promises and if I say I’m going to do something then I’ll do it. So in the case of what I will do later on in life I prefer to keep it for myself right now!

Do you think of yourself as a modern person?  
I’m more of a handy girl because of my upbringing! My parents always made us do all kinds of things around the house, so I'm more comfortable with that than I am around computers. I can barely turn on the switch on some of these machines and I don’t really have any interest in technology in general. Sure I have a BlackBerry and it’s very practical for making decisions more quickly, but that's it. I don’t let technology control my life!