from Grazia UK, April 2006
Transcript from a scan sent in by Amo, thank you! revised version
on what she looks for in a man
Sense of humour is the number one thing in a man because I need somebody who can make me laugh. I need someone with the same ideas and aspirations as me, because of all that stuff [fame and fortune] is fabulous, but coming home at the end of the day is what’s important.
on her ambitions outside of acting
My biggest ambition is to have a family. To have a baby is one of the most amazing things a woman can do. Not that I want to do it until I’m ready. There’s so much I want to do first.
on her friend Keira Knightley
I’ve known Keira for years and she hasn’t changed an inch. She’s one of the most exquisitely beautiful woman on this planet. She’s so down to earth. All that and she’s five years younger than me! If her success had happened to me at her age, I’d be in The Priory by now.
on her attitude towards the female form
There have been occasions when my agent has said I didn’t get a job because I was too hefty. But the heaviest I’ve ever been is a size 10! I find that rather sad and don’t want to work with people with that attitude. I honestly don’t know where this skinny stuff began. Men don’t like it either. I noticed when I turned 25 that my metabolism slowed down, which is painful as I’m a major foodie. Now for example, if I’m craving pasta I’ll eat it at lunchtime instead of in the evening. It’s just a question of having discipline and understanding nutrition. [on putting on weight for Art School Confidential] I’m playing the muse in a life-drawing class so it’s important for me to have curves. I hope that other women will think it’s refreshing to see a normal-sized woman on screen.
while visiting Fred Segal (in LA) right before the Tristan & Isolde press junket she had a frustrating experience
I was trying on some jeans and thinking, “Great, I can get into a size 27.” But this painfully thin woman in the changing room was complaining, “Oh, the 22 is way too big!”
on her favourite food
I really love Eggs Benedict. And I’m mad for oysters, after having them with Rufus [Sewell] in a tiny place on the west coast of Ireland. And I just love caviar, although, sadly, I can’t afford to eat it all the time.
on fashion
I love designers who really embrace women’s curves. My favourites are Agnès B, Alberta Ferretti, Armani and Stella McCartney.
on beauty products/resolutions
I swear by Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel. And then there’s the mother of all moisturisers: Fresh’s Crème Ancienne. My biggest beauty resolution is to stop biting my fingernails. It’s an ugly habit and there’s nothing more unattractive in a scene than a hand full of stumpy nails.