In November 2011 I sat down with Amber Heard to discuss her work on Hunter S. Thompson adaptation The Rum Diary. The interview was filmed for Volkswagen but never ran in print. The full transcript can be read here.

You’ve had quite an eventful last couple of years, working with John Carpenter and Bruce Robinson. What’s it been like working with two cult legends?

Well they’re so different. I guess I take each one for what they’re worth and each one is different. I guess at times I could take a step back and think what an honour, in general, it’s been. I’ve been really lucky to have incredible co-stars and incredible directors to work with. But Bruce, in my opinion, is a genius. He’s mad, but he’s a genius. And I loved Withnail & I and I remember that when they told me he was making The Rum Diary, I thought it was perfect. No one else would get it like him.

Do you remember when you first saw Withnail & I?

A long time ago. I had to rewatch it to be sure I was remembering the same project. But once I realised who it was, I thought to myself that there was no one but Bruce who could make this movie.

So what initially drew you to the role of Chenault?

There’s so much to this project in general. I mean I’ve been a fan of Hunter S. Thompson for such a long time. I loved this book and of course I’ve been a fan of Johnny’s for a long time, so all those elements came by with a filmmaking like Bruce Robinson and it was very appealing in of itself. And I liked this character. There was a lot that I thought I could do with her. There’s a certain stylised nature to who she is and I wanted to have the freedom to be able to do that and express that style. And I felt with Bruce that I could do that. He allowed me to be an artist and make what I wanted to create.

Chenault is a complex character – one that superficially represents this archetype of a leading lady, a housewife in the making, a symbol of the elite class and really a symbol of the American dream. She’s very much a commodity among other commodities that the men who run this world seek to obtain and a validation of their worth. I like that she represents all those things superficially, but there’s so much more on the inside, and I like that she’s flawed and vulnerable and independent and rebellious. I like that juxtaposition.

We get the impression that you had quite a bit of fun on set with those guys.

I highly recommend the Depp / Eckhart sandwich combo I got.

Lots of women are very jealous of you for that.

I was pretty lucky.

Now, we’ve got it on fairly good authority that you’re a bit of a film buff.

Really?

Well we’ve heard that you enjoy a lot of the classics. What sort of stuff do you tend to enjoy when you’re not working?

I like the classics. I mean I like everything from horror to classics. The only thing I’m not so versed in is romantic comedy. Am I missing out? I don’t know. Maybe.

Any key directors you could cite?

Yes, oh my God. Tarsem is, in my opinion, one of the best filmmakers in the world. Pedro Almodóvar is incredible. Alejandro Iñárritu is so talented, I would love to work with him one day. Guillermo Del Toro is another. I could go on and on.

So what have you got lined up next? We gather you’ve been working on an independent film?

I just wrapped on the independent film I did called Syrup and I should be getting in the editing room soon to work on it and I’m producing something that I’m developing at the moment. It could take a long, long time until it comes to fruition but we’re working on it. And I’m reading, I’m reading a lot of stuff and I’m waiting for the next project that really moves me.

Any plans to direct at all at some stage?

Not in the near future, but stay tuned. We’ll see.