Now 27, the star of the recent Wim Wenders film Don’t Come Knocking adds “writer” and “director” to her portfolio, and is still as grounded as ever. This spunky actress was also a political activist in her younger years, having volunteered for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and the anti-nuclear group Canadian Peace Alliance in between delivering sandwiches to street kids in winter and losing two back teeth in a riot. She takes some time off in between projects for an exclusive with I-S.

What is your current state of mind?
Happy!

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a writer and a political activist.

What is your biggest achievement?
My marriage (to film editor David Wharnsby).

What inspires you?
Lakes in the north of Ontario. People who stand up for what they believe in even when it’s very unpopular.

What personal trait do you appreciate the most in others?
Self-awareness.

Do you have a cause or do you support one?
Public funding for the arts, public healthcare, and an end to the occupation(s) in the Middle East.

Which living person do you admire most and would like to invite for dinner?
Renowned urban theorist Jane Jacobs.

What are you reading?
Beloved by Toni Morrisson. I don’t know if I like it though.

How do you spend your Sunday mornings?
Reading the paper, sitting on my porch and talking to my neighbors.

What is your idea of hell?
Finding that I have become a hypocrite.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Cooking shows.

How do you recharge?
Going up north in Ontario and swimming in the lakes.

What’s playing in your iPod/MP3/CD player?
Jason Collett, an amazing indie Canadian singer.

What do you collect?
Tea cups.

Where would you like to live?
Right where I live in downtown Toronto.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Jeans.

What accessory sets you apart?
A small gold necklace that my brother gave me when I was 13. It has the symbols for love, charity and faith on it.

If you had to play a character in a movie, which movie and which character?
Orlando (played by Tilda Swinton) in Orlando.

What did you believe at 18 that you wish you still believed now?
This is a GREAT question. That people really knew themselves.