Evan Rachel Wood's A-list little black book

The actress talks about her Hollywood connections

She may only be 24 but Evan Rachel Wood is one of the most well-connected actresses in Hollywood. Following on from her Stylist interview, she spills the beans on the A-list names in her little black book.

1. On George Clooney

“He’s someone who really uses his fame to reach people on another level; on a brave level. I love his films. He’s an amazing director but he’s not just about making a great film; he wants everyone to have a great time making it. There was a lot of laughing. I was dancing and singing Justin Bieber with another cast member on a break from filming one day and George had the camera rolling the whole time. He’s threatening to put it on the DVD extras. I’m not looking forward to that so much.”

2. On Ryan Gosling

“We sparked off each other so much. He’s such a great actor. Our scenes together come across so intense because we were both ready to go toe-to-toe with each other and see who would crack first. Who would be intimidated first, you know? We were like, ‘No I’m going to keep pushing you.’ Ryan’s such a great guy and not bad to look at either. We just had a lot of fun.”

3. On Robert Redford

“Working with Robert on The Conspirator (2010) was just a thrill. Like George, he’s a director who is also an actor so it helps a lot. There’s no battle in trying to communicate or get on the same page. They speak your language immediately and things go so much smoother. He was so easy to approach, but still; I don’t think I ever got used to seeing Robert Redford every day or having to call him Bob. I mean, he’s the Sundance Kid. He’s so brilliant and so lovely. And god, he’s got the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s still got it.”

4. On Kate Winslet

“Mildred Pierce was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The upside was Kate. She’s my favourite actress. The first time I met her, I started tearing up I was so emotional. It was a really big moment because I had so much love and admiration for her. She’s one of the strongest, bravest women I’ve met. She’s so confident and is so comfortable with her body; which makes her so beautiful. I had to appear completely nude and I was going to chicken out, but she really put the scene and that moment into perspective and she was right. I’m so glad I did it. She was waiting with a drink for me afterwards. A toast to my first full frontal. Not that I’m in a hurry to do it again…”

5. On Catherine Hardwicke

“She’s like my guardian angel. She changed my whole life. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to do Thirteen. It was ballsy! If it wasn’t done the right way, it could have just been a disaster. But Catherine was one of the first filmmakers and adults who really looked at this 13-year-old girl and said, ‘I’m going to listen, I want you to show me what it’s like to be you.’ Suddenly, I had this freedom to bare my soul in the way I wanted to. She showed me a different side to myself. And we made that movie for nothing. We had no idea it was going to be what it was. It was such a crazy time. And now, with the Twilight success; I’m so proud of her.”

6. On Woody Allen

“I’ve been so lucky to work on Whatever Works [directed by Allen in 2009]. I’d never worked in that way before. Woody casts people he thinks are right for the role and then he doesn’t give you direction. I had to get used to trusting myself and not having any feedback. He’s also very old school in the way that he likes doing scenes in one take. And his scenes are 10 pages of dialogue! It was like doing theatre, which, luckily, I have experience in. Still, the pressure of knowing Woody Allen is behind the camera, and he’s not really saying anything either way. It wasn’t until my job was over that he said how happy he was. To say that was a relief is a massive understatement.”

Tags: celebrity interview