Olivia Wilde has Hollywood in thrall

Olivia Wilde has seen a surge in her movie roles in the last few years. After a striking appearance in Alpha Dog, Wilde has since featured in Tron: Legacy, Cowboys and Aliens, where she starred alongside Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, and more recently in role-reversal comedy The Change-Up. Born Olivia Jane Cockburn, she adopted the professional name ‘Wilde' to commemorate her love for the works of poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde. The sexy New Yorker, 27, talked to us about her latest movie, why intellect is more important than looks, and the influence her family has had on her career.

Olivia, your parents are investigative journalists. Does it bother you when other people pry too much into your life?

Yes, it's a strange thing. I don't like it. I feel like I am being investigated by the FBI. You have to laugh at it, otherwise it will make you angry. But I have nothing to hide, and I don't have children. At the moment if they want to follow me to the gym then, sure, why not?

You were married at a very young age [Olivia and her husband filed for divorce this year - see box out]. What do you think of dating?

I have never been on a date. I don't understand the concept of dating. I would love to go on an adventurous date though. Something surprising, unexpected for a date. Dinner and a movie is not that interesting for me.

You play a great character in The Change-Up. Did you have any say as to what Sabrina should be like?

Yes. I am a big collaborator. I pulled out of another movie to do this film. But I really wanted to work on Sabrina a little bit. We all worked together on her. I like the spirit of working together with people. I really enjoy that.

You are obviously a very attractive young lady. Talk to us about the scene where both Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman had to touch you…

The guys were a lot shyer than I was. Jason and Ryan watched me getting undressed, sitting there on set in only my underwear. The funny thing is that I felt as if I was taking advantage of these guys.

Really?

Yeah. I had fun, and for Mr Sexy Ryan Reynolds it was just another day in his life. He felt very comfortable. But Jason was very nervous and not comfortable at all. He kept apologising all the time.

You seem very comfortable with your own body.

Yes, I am. It started in my youth. My parents made me feel good about myself from an early age. And I always looked up to women who were very comfortable in all different areas of their lives. The physical was never the priority for me growing up. My parents always told me that looks should be secondary, it should be the intellect that matters the most.

Do you feel sexually empowered?

Comfort with your body is necessary for an actor. But Sabrina's character was very sexually empowered; I had to really summon all my comfortable instincts. I am not as confident or sexually empowered as Sabrina.

Are you a woman who likes to commit, or are you someone who likes to be free?

All of us try to achieve balance in life. I am not any different. You want to find something in between. Committing to someone is a very relaxing thing. You can focus on other things besides dating when you are in a relationship. I think life is ultimately a two-person job. But life is also a journey with unknown turns. Marriage can be a beautiful thing; I think I continue to try for that in life.

What is it about you that you need to get better at?

I am a bit of a workaholic. I tend to spend a lot of time on sets. I remind myself to let loose and have fun at times, and I don't always find times to do that. ButI keep trying to find that balance.

What's your idea of fun?

I like to see live dancing. I like ballet, any kind of dancing. I love old music, soul music. I can find a dive bar and a jukebox and have fun. I just love being able to dance, I love dancing. I don't want a guy who is technical about dancing. That's more of a turn off.

What are you looking for in a guy?

I don't know. I have pretty high standards. But I am open to changing. I am open to learning. Part of a great relationship is to learn from the other person - about art, literature and so on. I am not stuck in my ways. I am very open to expansion. You need to learn to escape your own limits.

Does coming from a family of writers and journalists affect your work?

I trust no-one (laughs). My grandfather had a great quote: "Believe nothing until it has officially been denied." I live by that quote. I think that my whole family has very analytical minds. We were brought up to speak and think for ourselves. I am still that way.

Do you ever allow yourself to be vulnerable?

I have very close friends and a very cool family. I don't have to be strong for them. For my family I am still the baby, although I am the middle child. I can let myself go with them. Again, it's all about balance. You need to feel empowered and vulnerable at the same time. I am surrounded by powerful women, and I was certainly raised by one. Maybe that's why I am not dating anyone right now.

8 things we now know about Oliva Wilde

1. Megan Fox once said Olivia was so sexy it made her want to strangle a mountain ox. Don't ask.

2. Her acting inspirations are solid: Meryl Streep, Frances McDormand and Sigourney Weaver.

3. She was considered for the role of Vesper Lynd in the 2006 Bond movie Casino Royale. She lost out to Eva Green in the end.

4. She has Irish ancestry and has both Irish and American citzenship, even studying in a Dublin acting school for a short time.

5. In 2003 she married Italian film-maker and photographer, Tao Ruspoli, on an abandoned school bus. They filed for divorce this year.

6. Her mother, Leslie Cockburn, is a journalist and former producer of the CBS news magazine show 60 Minutes.

7. "It would be difficult to be a stripper in that suit because it's almost impossible to get it off. It would be a three-hour striptease and you'd need at least five assistants on stage with you." - Wilde on her Tron Legacy costume.

8. She once won a pancake-eating contest in Australia.