Is there any ego attached to doing a small role in a big movie?
Ego, in terms of does it make you feel bad that you're doing a small role? I don't think that really translates in terms of? I?ve been very lucky with the American actors I?ve worked with. I haven?t really come across that kind of ego thing too badly. But I think in England, we have such a culture of theater and you are part of a company of actors.

Truly, I haven?t played such a supporting role for a long time. It was quite an odd sensation to come in two months in where all the dramas have already happened and the affairs have been had and something?s gone wrong. You don?t know anything about it, and you?re turning up kind of as the new girl. It doesn?t get me more nervous. It certainly gave me a lot more respect for people who do that on every single movie because it?s like the famous thing of somebody?s got one line saying, ?Hello? [and] they?re at home going, ?Hello, hello, hello.? I think supporting cast members have an incredibly important part to play. Your work is very much to support what the story is and what the lead character is doing. I had a great time doing it. I wouldn?t have minded being there a few extra weeks because I love Martin and Leo so much, but I?d be fine being a PA. They were all set up.

How was working with Leonardo DiCaprio?
I?ve always been a huge fan of his. I remember when I was living in Paris and seeing ?What?s Eating Gilbert Grape? and coming out with my boyfriend at the time, I was about 18 myself, and going, ?Oh my God, I hope that that?s a real boy and not an actor because if that?s an actor, we?re all screwed.? That really raised the bar for everybody in a terrifying way.

I was already a big fan of his but he is not just some kid on a skateboard that the talent fairy dropped fairy dust on. This is somebody who is more in control of his talent, and more responsible with his talent, and just a master of his craft than almost everyone I?ve ever worked with. He?s absolutely blossoming with every moment and just being around him is a real treat as another actor to kind of go through that. On top of which, he?s a terrific, nice man and we had a lot of fun.

?It was a slow start because we started with the mad scenes first and obviously he was very contained and I was in a whole different place. But once we started hurling ash trays at each other and stuff, we really had a really nice time. He?s got a great sense of humor as well.

Have you come to terms with the last few years of fame and personal changes?
I think it?s an odd sensation, becoming suddenly more well known, and I?d never done films in the past like ?Underworld? and ?Van Helsing.? I?ve always been notoriously un-athletic. That was really a departure from the usual kind of thing that I?d done to see if I liked it, and to see if I could do it, because I like to keep myself tested. It?s a slightly odd sensation to become suddenly famous for that departure because it?s weird to feel that the image that?s out there of you is not quite your taste. So that?s why it was very nice to do this movie which felt kind of like a return to the sort of thing that I grew up to be. But yeah, it?s been a big year. I mean, getting married, I suddenly moved to the other side of the world and all sorts of stuff. I?m actually the age my father was when he died so I think there?s an element of re-evaluation of everything for me at the moment. I?m kind of keeping my mind open to all possibilities.

Is there any truth to the statements you want to go back to school to be a doctor?
I don't know if I?ll become a doctor. I think in the spirit of that re-evaluation of everything, I definitely have been thinking about possibly exploring other things. In terms of my acting career, I?ve always wanted to change it up as much as possible and go from different genre to different genre. I think that there?s, sometimes if you?re not absolutely lucky enough to work with the Scorseses of this world constantly over and over again, I think if you?re halfway intelligent, it can be a little bit frustrating that there?s whole pockets of your year where your brain isn?t really activated as much as you might like it to be. I?m very much like my six-year-old in that respect that I?ll start behaving badly in my house, and having to eat more candy and stuff if I don?t keep my brain ticking.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4