Your performance as Jinx is so successful there's talk of the character being given her own movie. Has anyone mentioned that to you?
It's been mentioned, mainly by the press. I don't know if that's real or not real. It certainly hasn't come my way in a real legitimate way, as of yet. There was talk of this happening for Michelle Yeoh and it never actually happened, so... I can tell you this: I loved being a part of Bond, I loved Jinx, she was great fun, it offered a new challenge for me. So, you never know what the future will hold.
Did you have any embarrassing moments during filming?
Well, choking on a fig was embarrassing. Especially since I'm on top of Pierce Brosnan, trying to be as sexy as I possibly can be, and then I start choking. And not being able to keep up with Pierce as he was running - I swear like lightning - along with this aeroplane. I thought I saw smoke coming out of his shoes.
You've been compared to the original Bond girl, Ursula Andress, because of a bikini scene. How does that feel?
Initially it was very daunting. I mean, who really wants to be compared directly to another actress or human being? So taking on the challenge of recreating a moment that has really gone down in Bond history, knowing I would be compared to another woman, was a little bit daunting, and I hoped that I could just do it justice.
Did you hurt yourself at all while making the film?
No, I didn't damage anything, luckily, but it is the most physical film I've ever taken part in. I have a much greater respect for what Pierce has to do, because he did far more than I had to do, and he did it with so much ease and grace. It made me realise that if I do venture into another movie like this, I will spend much more time getting prepared, and maybe next time I will be able to keep up with the plane and with Pierce.
You've spoken a lot about your mixed-race background. What influence has your British mother had on your life?
My mother is very strong and at times she can be very stoic - that's the origin of her strength - and I think I've taken parts of her personality and incorporated them into my own. I'm very emotional by nature, but there are those times when I rely on that strength and I can kick into it... I guess it's really a defence mechanism, but I can take on her stoic personality traits and not allow something to affect me that might affect the next person. And I definitely know that I get that from my English roots, because my grandparents - who were born and raised in Liverpool - are very much like that, very strong people.
Has winning an Oscar [for "Monster's Ball"] changed your life?
On some levels it's changed my life and in many ways it hasn't at all. My struggles within this industry are still the same. I think the way in which it's different is that, sure, anytime anybody wins an Academy Award, I think their peers in the industry give them a little bit more respect. Other than that, I still have many of the same struggles that all actresses have.
A big misconception is that people think when you win an Academy Award, this script bus comes by your house and drops off all these great scripts, and it really doesn't happen. You still have to approach your career the same way and do the things that got you to that great day when you were lucky enough to win that award.
