WHO Sophia Myles, 27, lives alone in north London and stays with friends when filming and auditioning in LA. She is in a relationship with actor David Tennant and stars in a new British film, Hallam Foe, out this month.

HER BIG BREAK ‘I was 21 and broke when I came to LA. Luckily, the first audition I went to – for Underworld – I got. Since then I’ve lived in the Chateau Marmont hotel for two months while I was filming Art School Confidential, which was incredibly rock’n’roll.’

LA Vs LONDON ‘Hollywood has a growing tabloid culture that it didn’t have a few years ago; I admire actresses like Reese Witherspoon, who keep their private lives private. The weather’s great in LA but there’s something earthy and real about London that I miss when I’m there.’

HER HOLLYWOOD LOOK ‘I’m reluctant to even indulge a conversation about body image as it’s become such an unhealthy obsession within society. When I had to pose naked in Art School Confidential, I made a conscious decision to put on weight as I feel very strongly that this size-zero thing needs to stop.’

TIP FOR THE TOP ‘Be prepared for the fact that there are hundreds and thousands of actresses in LA.’

WHAT NEXT? ‘I want to be working when I’m 80 and if I could have Johnny Depp’s career in female form I’d be happy. I’d like to try my hand at a romantic comedy at some point and would be equally as happy doing TV as I would films.’