Last Night is a really smart film. What attracted you to it?

I thought it was beautifully written and it takes a close, honest look at the complexity and imperfection of relationships. I could tell it was written by a woman because of the dialogue… I thought, “Ah! I get that.” Like when Keira’s character is in her friend’s kitchen with her ex and she says, “I can never be in this kitchen again now”. As a woman I identify with that, being that sensitive to places and smells.

What drew you to your character, Laura, in the film?

At first I wasn’t drawn to her. I loved the script, but I didn’t want to do it. On paper she was a bit of a seductress, the other woman. But when I sat down with Massy [Tadjedin, director] she was like, “That’s why I want you, because I know you won’t play her like that.” If Laura was a vixen it would cheapen Sam Worthington’s character because this isn’t about obvious cheating.

Was there ever a question that you would play the lead?

No, Keira was already in – but you know, that doesn’t bother me. I think those days are gone when you play the lead and only the lead. For me it’s about the people I’m working with. It would bother me to pass something up for such an empty reason.

You’re playing smarter roles than ever before. Has that been a conscious decision?

It’s very conscious, so thank you for asking [looks relieved]. I think what can really make a career is the stuff you say no to. A couple of years ago I made a decision to only do things I was really in love with, whereas before I just did things that seemed right for my career – a big part, a good move. I’ve been in the industry for 10 years now so I’m at a nice place where people know me and I don’t have to make financially motivated decisions anymore. It’s empowering to be able to choose.

You’ve played ‘sexy’ very successfully. Do you feel those roles held you back from more serious film choices?

There have been films I’ve done that I’m not proud of, sure, but who knows what’s held me back or not. I don’t sit and dissect that. Some of the stuff I’ve done has been amazing, like the Calvin Klein campaigns. It was a dream to do those, especially because when I was a kid it was all about Kate Moss. She’s about the same age as me, and my friends and I talked about those campaigns constantly. I think it’s about how you do things. The people who inspire me, like Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron, are incredibly sexy, but they’re also serious actresses who have navigated those waters carefully.

Do you feel you are still learning?

All the time. I still go to acting class. I get very excited about it. I just finished a four-day intensive, where you work 9am to 9pm in pairs and put on a play for the group in this tiny theatre in Santa Monica. If it’s in New York, we do it off-off-Broadway and you get critiqued. I’ve been taking classes for 12 years and Larry Moss [acting coach to Hilary Swank], who held last week’s class, has a great point. He says if you’re a good painter or a cellist, you don’t stop practising. I feel like with my acting, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. We did Molière in this last one. I mean, where else am I going to play Molière?

Why not in a movie?

Well, you need to talk to the industry about that. I know it’s boring, but it’s just very difficult to be a woman in this business and even more difficult if you’re an ethnic woman. I wouldn’t be cast in a classic like [a Molière film]. I don’t want to keep saying it and making this my thing, but we need more diversity. It’s like my friend Lucy Liu, she’s such a talented actress, but there are very few roles for Asian- American or black women.

You have managed to achieve diversity in your roles, especially recently. You’ve mixed action, drama and comedy and have even parodied your sexy image in the sketch for funnyordie.com.

[Laughs] I wish I could take credit for coming up with that. I was filming The Other Guys with Will and the director Adam McKay, who are behind the website, and they were like, “Mendes is funny.” And I was like, “Why act so surprised? Dude, just give me something to do.” So after a couple of months they called and said they had this sketch about a sex tape. It’s a play on words though – it’s about sticky tape – you have to see it. It’s still one of the top videos on funnyordie.com but it gave my mother a heart attack. She wouldn’t even watch it, even after I told her it was a joke. I was like, “Mum, it’s funny and cute,” but it got to the point where I just had to let it go.

Do your family usually watch everything you do?

Everything. And my god, they’re my best critics. They’re very honest but they’re loving, and for such a working class family, they really took to the fame thing very well. They get that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Why not?

Well, everybody has struggles and issues they’re working through, but it can be incredibly stressful to not know where your next job is coming from. Paparazzi, hands down, is the most overwhelming thing. It’s not only bizarre to have someone watching you from the bushes, but rude and foreign and scary. Sometimes I don’t even know what’s happening until my mum alerts me. She has me on Google Alerts [laughs]. But I think sometimes she feels that’s the only way she can keep in touch with me.

You’re a big believer in therapy. Why?

It’s just the guidance that I need. When I was little, therapy something you only seek out if you’re sick, a little wacky. But it’s not and I think more and more people are starting to get into it.

Eva Empowered