MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ

The self-confessed butch chick glams up and talks about her prison sentence and why she quit 'Lost'.

Thanks to her tough-girl persona, you might expect Lost star Michelle Rodriguez not to enjoy anything about a photo-shoot in the luxurious Viceroy Santa Monica hotel in California, but you'd be wrong! The minute she breezes in wearing jeans and a t-shirt, she makes a beeline for the racks of clothing the stylists have pulled together and picks her outfits.

Getting her break as a kick-butt boxer in the movie Girlfight six years ago, Michelle, 27, has since starred in major flicks such as The Fast and The Furious, SWAT, Blue Crush and most recently on the small screen as Ana-Lucia in Lost. But she's also been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons after a drink-driving charge landed her a five-day stay in jail. Shortly after our interview Michelle landed herself another 60 days inside for violating her probation. Here she talks openly about her five days in jail, her role in Lost and why she never wants to play somebody's girlfriend...

Let's talk about your jail sentence. Were you surprised to get it?
I was expecting: 'It's a misdemeanour!' I was going, like, ten miles an hour. At the end of the day the judge at the time understands that I was on high levels of prednisone [a type of steroid prescribed for Michelle's allergies]. It does alter the way that you think and the way you physically handle yourself.

Do you regret the incident now?
No, because if it didn't happen then I wouldn't have gotten off prednisone.

How did you find jail?
I got on with it. Being in there just reminded me of Cuba [laughs]!

Do you think any of this contributed to them writing you out of Lost?
I signed on signed off! I was too scared to do a whole year.

It is a huge commitment...
Not only that, but you're stuck in one place for a whole year - that's a long time.

Do you miss Hawaii now?
Oh, yeah! I'm going to retire there. I definately see myself in a house on Maui in the next four years.

It sounds like a great place to be...
I loved being in Hawaii. I feel like it's about nature and God. To walk outside my house every day and see the ocean, made me realise that it's not always about people.

You have something of a crazy, party-loving reputation. Do you feel you're misrepresented at all?
You know what? I remember the first interview I ever gave when Girlfight came out and I said that you have to leave room for mistakes. I'm human, not one of those actors that are very calculated in everything they do with their career. Trust me, I don't want to get in trouble.

Is it tough these days to be a strong woman in Hollywood?
I see a lot of insecurities. I also see my own, because a lot of the time I'm surrounded by people who are talking to me and I can tell that they're not really interested in what I have to say. And that's when I'll down a glass of champagne because I don't really know how to handle it.

How do you feel about people calling you a sex symbol?
It's the mentality that bothers me. It seems any time something has to do with adults, sex and women are exploited. That's so not what it's about. For me and the generation I grew up with, it's about strength and making your own decision. I'll be sexy when I want to be sexy and that's it.

Do you want kids one day?
Heck, yeah! It's really important to me. I feel that nothing matters more in the world than animals and children.

With roles in SWAT, Girlfight and upcoming horror flick The Breed, you're not a girl who shies away from a fight...
The physical stuff is totally me. I did all my own stunts in Girlfight and I'd love to do them in other movies, but they don't usually let me.

How about doing a more relaxing romantic comedy?
I've always turned down the girlfriend roles or the best friend who gets killed at the beginning of a movie! Most writers in Hollywood are guys who don't know how to write the perfect balance between feminine and masculine. Until I can write and produce my own stuff, I'd rather be the tough, butch chick.

Have you ever been asked to do anything you've had a problem with?
Yes, in SWAT they wanted Colin Farrelland myself to have a relationship and I was just like: 'What are you talking about? We're a SWAT team!' Also in The Fast and The Furious, where I was supposed to be into Paul Walker and Vin Diesel's character at the same time and cheating on Vin, I told them it wasn't going to happen. Thank God Vin has a big ego and said: 'Why would she want to cheat on me?'

You've worked with some of the coolest guys in Hollywood. Who's your favourite?
Samuel L Jackson is awesome. I love him, he's so smooth and he's always got such wise advice. Colin Farrell's so good-hearted - I'm totally on his side with the way he lives his life. Of course, if it gets in the way of your health, you should watch out.

Is making a TV show very different to making a film?
I think it's tougher. For a film, you have a couple of months to prepare and on Lost I had less than a week to prepare, and sometimes they switched things on you. The hardest part for me is memorizing the dialogue and also figuring out what to do with it. Anything physical is easy.

Finally, we've seen a little of your inner fashionista today, dressing up in all these fabuolous frocks. So tell us, do you have a girlie side?
Yes, I've actually been designing clothes for a while. I have a whole line that's almost done. I'd describe it as a mix of punk and YSL and my favourite piece is these hip huggers that have these amazing snakeskin belts attached. It's going to be great!

(Source: OK Magazine - UK)