It is a little weird to see yourself everywhere with your
tongue hanging out 
It's been a heady year for newcomer Evan Rachel Wood. After taking small roles in Practical Magic and S1mOne, as well as playing in countless TV movies, she landed the starring role of a troubled schoolgirl in Catherine Hardwicke's Thirteen. Her much-praised performance has since led to roles in higher profile projects, such as Ron Howard's upcoming western The Missing, Kevin Costner pic The Upside Of Anger, and James Woods comedy Pretty Persuasion. You go girl...
What attracted you to Thirteen?
I think it's a story anyone my age can relate to because it's about that time when you're not a kid, and you're not an adult, so you don't really know who you are. But at the same time you want so badly to be accepted. It's a movie that really holds a mirror up to your face if you're that age.
How do you feel about your newfound fame?
It is a little weird, and I do feel a little bit disoriented sometimes. I'm usually pretty shy around people and pretty private. So yeah, it is a little weird all of a sudden to see yourself everywhere with your tongue hanging out! And a pierced tongue! Like great, like that's not going to haunt me for the rest of my life! But at the same time, things are going really well for me now and I'm getting a lot of opportunities. And I've really affected a lot of people.
As well as starring opposite Holly Hunter in Thirteen, you're also in The Missing with Cate Blanchett. What did you learn working with such acting heavyweights?
How focussed they are, how dedicated they are, and how much they put into everything that they do. Neither of them has any ego, they're really considerate of everyone else. They give the other actors exactly what they need. I've been really lucky this year to work with a lot of my role models. I've just recently worked with Joan Allen too [in Upside Of Anger]. It's just a dream - I'm just waiting to wake up.
Were you at all bothered by the level of violence in The Missing?
I was pretty impressed that they were going that far. That's how it really was, and that's what would have happened. I thought it was really cool that they weren't going to sugar coat anything. I love seeing roles like this for women.
It's especially unusual to see strong women portrayed in a western...
I loved Cate's part and my part, how we're going through the same things that cowboys normally do, and we're holding our own. We're fighting back. I love the way that my character starts out as this prissy girl but finds strength in herself that she didn't know she had. I don't really want to do fluffy cheerleader parts or teen movies. I just try to go for things that are real and will stick with somebody for longer than five minutes.
Was filming tough?
Just having to deal with the environment and the weather constantly changing was rough. Sometimes it got so incredibly cold, it was miserable. And other times it was incredibly hot, and you never knew which it was going to be. The night shooting was really difficult. You're working at four o'clock in the morning, having to scream and cry and fight. It's not the funnest thing in the world...
Didn't you have any fun at all?
Oh, yeah. I really fell in love with my horse, Mucho. I was on him nearly every day. I really got attached to him. That was probably the best part, being able to ride all the time.
The Missing opens in UK in March 2004.
