What was the attraction of playing Marina in "Me Without You"?

I wanted to play Holly initially. [The director] Sandra Goldbacher said "I think you're more like Marina. What I need is a person who is both full of confidence and massively insecure. I want to bring those things out of you." She also said "I've never seen you play a bitch before, and I'd think you'd be really good at that." I relished the challenge of being able to pull off being the same person from 16 to 29. I loved that. It was like doing three films in one. I also liked the fact that it was about two girls' friendship.

Did you experience a friendship like that when you were young?

From the age of four until 16, I was friends with a girl called Claire, who I still see - though not as much as I'd like, unfortunately. I saw her every day at school, and at weekends we'd stay at each others' houses. She was the quieter one, and I was the more gutsy one.

Did you have boy trouble at that age?

When I was 14, I always liked the nice boys, the popular ones, but I never got them. I was never in a position to fight over one - I just didn't have one.

How did you feel working with American actress Michelle Williams, who plays Marina's friend?

They said they were going to get an American, and I didn't know if that would work. But it really did. I met her at the director's house, just after she got off the plane from LA. Sandra introduced us, and she said "Right, you're both six-years-old, you're in your bedroom and you're playing." Then she walked out and left us for an hour and a half. Michelle was like, "Oh, God, I haven't done improvisation for years!" I said, "Don't worry love, I'm in the same boat."