Hi Keeley, you star in the new comedy, ‘Awful Nice’ which is out in the UK on VOD 11th August – can you tell us about your character?
KH: I play Petra, who was originally supposed to be Russian, but I’m very British which kind of changed things. She’s ends up in this bizarre place, involved with a Russian gang. She’s very kind of open, sexually. She could possibly be a hooker, but I think it’s more that she’s very independent. But she’s a very fun girl who happens to hang out with a lot of Russian gangsters.
And how did you become involved in the film?
KH: It actually came about in a funny way. I didn’t really go in to audition; the casting director was familiar with some of my work and put my name in with a few other actresses, and ended up picking me. And I was like, great! They said you’ve got the part and I said, this is how it should work! (Laughs)
Did you have to stick to the script or were your scenes improvised?
KH: There was improvisation in many of the scenes, which was great, because many of the guys come from that background. So they came in and went off on things. That was great for me, because I think it’s freeing to be able to improv and not always stick to the lines. There was definitely improv in the scene that we did.
You’re also in Like Crazy and that was improvised too, right?
KH: Yes. I was just thinking about Like Crazy as I was speaking because the whole reading was improv. That was a different process though, because there wasn’t a script. It was a 50 page outline of the movie and then they had the idea of what they needed to capture in each scene and they just went off, which was great because I was like, “Oh, I’m in these scenes and I know this about myself,” and then the characters came in and you didn’t have any idea of where it was going.
What was it like working with both Alex (Rennie) and James (Pumphrey) on Awful Nice?
KH: I loved the guys-they were all great. I always seem to bump into James now. Our relationships on the set seemed to develop naturally; everyone really got along. It was a really fun and interesting environment to work in.
You moved to LA to work in film, was this a deliberate decision?
KH: When I was18 or 19 I came out to visit LA, and I just knew I was going to move here. And then when making the transition from modeling to an actress, I felt that I wanted to study and sort of do that outside of the UK. Because breaking through that barrier was something I thought would be difficult and I wanted to be somewhere where I could be anonymous. It would be better for me.
Speaking of your transition into film, you have had an incredibly successful career as a glamour model in the UK, is there a part of you that wants to break away from that image when pursuing an acting career?
KH: Definitely. There’s this perception that you can’t be more than one thing. That if you’re dubbed ‘sexy’ you can no longer be anything else. It’s like if you’re an actor and you’re known for only one genre of movie and you want to move onto something else, I can relate to that. I think now… now I’m getting old. (Laughs) So part of me is done with that.
If you weren’t going to be a model or an actress, what would your ideal job be?
KH: God, this is a tough question. I’d like to say brain surgeon, but I’m not going to say brain surgeon. Maybe like a CEO of a company?
What else do you have coming up in addition to AWFUL NICE?
KH: I just shot a part in HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, I’m excited about that. It’s a small role, but fun. It was great working with the guys in that. I also auditioned twice for FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, that was a pretty, erm, ‘interesting’ experience.
But the thing I’ve been most passionate about is my writing. I’m currently collaborating with a talented young female director – we wrote a series that has been taken on by a production company. It’s in the super-early stages, but it’s really exciting.
And lastly, who is your celebrity crush?
KH: Spike Jonze! Well, I have three celebrity crushes, and they’re really bizarre. Louis C.K., I have a crush on him. And Adam Driver from “Girls.” But Spike Jonze is my number one.
AWFUL NICE (cert.15) is available in the UK on demand and digitally Monday 11th August 2014, courtesy of Solo Media.
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