[on working with Charlie Sheen] We get on terribly. I can`t stand him. No, he`s great. He`s really quiet and shy and sweet.

[on making "Rose Red" (2002) (mini)] I wasn`t allowed to do anything quirky, or to have an interesting accent. So the challenge lay in making her as interesting as I could without making her unusual. And that was hard!

[on Charlie Sheen`s reaction to her New Zealand accent] He turned around and said, "What`s this, uh, voice? What are you doing?" I said, "I`m just talking." Then he said, "Hmmm. Is that some kind of actor-y thing?"

The first audition I ever did, the casting director said, "I don`t know why you`re here. You`re never going to work in America. You don`t look right. You don`t have the right kind of personality. I don`t even know if you can do an American accent. Maybe you can try England." Other people were nice, but that`s the first thing I ever heard when I came here. It made me more determined.

I always try to do something really different from the last thing. After Abandon (2002), where I was this creepy girl, I just wanted to play someone happy, and then Sweet Home Alabama (2002) came along, which was perfect.

You always see those movies that have amazing casts, and it`s funny to be in one of them. It`s a list of all these fantastic people--and, oh, me as well.

If I ever have time off and don`t know what`s coming up next, I get really nervous and think, Oh well, it`s probably over.

I don`t think I`ll ever be a movie star.

[on the success of "Two and a Half Men" (2003)] It seems funny to me that it`s all worked so well. I have so much respect for the people who do this. It`s so hard to keep the energy up and to make people laugh.

[on life after Heavenly Creatures (1994)] I think the hardest thing as to go back to school. It`s a pretty catty environment at an all-girls school and things happened. For example, "60 Minutes" (1993) came to do a story on me and followed me around for a day. At school you just don`t need that. And then I would have to go to New York or Sydney for a week and take time out. And while they were amazing experiences, it was hard because I had these two completely separate lives. I think a lot of people resented that. It put me outside of them a bit.

I don`t think I`ll ever be a movie star...

[on meeting fans] When I was in Montreal this girl came up to me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Melanie Lynskey?" Some come up and say that they were in school with me, or that I am a friend of someone they know.

I always thought I`d be in New Zealand doing theater. Everything I`ve done is greater than my greatest dreams.