Jess has some awkward moments with guys; are you more
confident?
“I’m not shy. I have a strange sort of combination of
awkwardness and confidence. I’m actually OK with awkward moments. But it’s not
because I think I’m so great. I’m confident in things other than, like, my
“swagger” [laughs]. I’m confident in my sense of humour. I’m comfortable in my
skin”
What do you look for in a guy?
“I think intelligence and humour are probably the most
attractive traits”
You’ve been linked to Russell Brand – do you even know
him?
“No, it’s completely ludicrous. I met him once – maybe three
years ago or something. I was with my husband at the time. I have no idea how
that rumour started but somebody just made it up. It’s crazy. I just can’t
imagine who would do that.”
You got divorced this year. Do you feel ready to move
on now?
“That’s such a personal thing – but I don’t blame you for
asking. I do understand the fascination with other people’s relationships,
because I want to know about other people’s relationships [laughs]… I just
don’t want others to know about mime.”
Let’s talk fashion: do you have a say in Jess’s
wardrobe?
“Yeah, I do – you don’t want to wear stuff that looks bad on
your body. Luckily we have an amazing costume designer [Debra McGuire] and I
really have a lot of fun working with her.”
From top: Zooey in
Almost Famous; as a blonde in Elf; with Mark Wahlberg in The Happening, and
starring in indie hit (500) Days of Summer
Is it true you have a “no jeans” rule?
“No, not at all [laughs]. I have tons of pairs of jeans and
I do wear them. I don’t really have any rules but I do believe in wearing stuff
that flatters my shape. I have an old-fashioned body because I’m small, and I
have a little waist but I have hips – I’m not like straight up and down. Things
with shape look best on me; that’s why I love vintage dresses.”
Is there anything you’d love to wear but don’t think
the world can handle?
“I don’t like to limit myself. Anything that I would love to
wear, I wear!”
Good philosophy. What were you like as a teenager?
“It’s funny – there were some similarities to what I’m like
now, but a lot of people say I was quiet. Maybe around my friends I wasn’t,
and, of course, I would do theatre, but in general I was a bit shy”
You’ve talked about being an outsider; do you feel
like you fit in now?
“I don’t know. I’ve always felt like an outsider and I still
do when I go to fancy events. I still do when I go to fancy events. I still sit
there and think, “I don’t belong here”. I feel like a kid at the adults’ table
– like I’m an outsider who goy let inside somehow. It’s not a bad thing, it’s
just that I see everything differently. I take all the glitz and glamour of
this business with a large grain of salt. I feel very removed from it. Not in a
bad way – it’s cool – I just don’t feel a part of it”
The New Girl with
her boys on the show
How do you make sure Hollywood doesn’t go to your head?
“I’ve always been pretty self-aware. I’m constantly
analyzing situations and how people react to them. There are people who maybe
don’t think about every little detail all the time, but I can’t turn my brain
off. That’s the way I am. But I think my whole family are like that”
Have you ever witnessed any diva behavior?
“I think that sort of behavior is embarrassing. Everyone has
a job they need to do and sometimes you’ll see somebody who is very famous and
they have different needs. I tend to keep my head down and work. I’m very
low-key. But the one thing I don’t like is when people treat others poorly. I
don’t think there’s ever any reason to not be nice.”
It’s refreshing that you don’t take it all for granted…
“I just think you go to something like the Golden Globes,
and it’s the most glamorous place you could ever be, but then you go home and
you’re still like, “Urgh, this dress is too tight, I wanna take off these shoes
and put on my pyjamas”. Then you wash your face, brush your teeth and put on
your night retainer or something! At the end of the nights all the glamour goes
away and you’re just a human. All of that stuff is put on, to a degree. It’s
always comforting to know that, no matter what, at the end of the night I’m
always home in my pyjamas [laughs]”
