Interviewing Rachel Griffiths is a bit like chatting with one of your wittiest friends. Warm, out-going, and humorous, the delightful Australian actress even managed to joke about her hotel accommodations while on the phone from Denver during a press tour for Me Myself I.

"Is 7:30 a.m. too late to take a shower in Colorado?" she asked facetiously. "There was no hot water in my room this morning! People in this part of the world must take showers during the middle of the night and use up all the hot water," she teased in her engaging Aussie accent.

Griffiths never expected fame in the movies. "I planned on being a theater actor," she stated. "Although my degree is in drama and dance, the school I attended was nothing like Juliard. It was a liberal arts college, and I was particularly interested in design. I worked on such things as lighting, sets, and so forth."

Speaking enthusiastically about her first real internship, Griffiths recalled, "It was with the Woolly Jumpers, an innovative theatrical group organized to bring drama to children who might not get a chance to see it otherwise. We worked on plays part of the year, then traveled to various areas to put on these productions."

In 1994, an impressive debut as Muriel’s friend Rhonda in Muriel’s Wedding launched Griffiths’ movie career. She accepted roles after that in such films as Cosi, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Welcome to Woop, Woop. An Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Hilary and Jackie came her way in 1999. As the real-life musical du Pres sisters, both Griffiths and Emily Watson won worldwide critical acclaim for their performances in this intense drama. Ironically, their success as Hilary and Jackie probably prevents them from working together again. "If we appeared with each other as any other characters, people wouldn’t believe us," Griffiths explained.

How does Griffiths prepare for her movie roles? "It depends on the project," she said. "I worked out in a gym for six weeks for Me Myself I. I was getting paid a lot of money, so I wanted to make sure I stayed healthy. It was like training for a marathon, but I knew physically I had to stay more positive than I ever had done on any other film in order to be light and funny."

Because Griffiths is in all but three scenes of this romantic comedy, she faced a grueling shooting schedule. She also spent hours watching as many romantic comedies as she could. "I watched Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Julia Roberts films because these are the masters of walking the line between making you laugh and making you feel something," she explained. "And, I watched Ground Hog Day, It’s a Wonderful Life, Harvey --- practically any movie like that about people who believe in something that might seem farfetched. I was worried the audience might find Me Myself I a little hard to believe, especially since my character meets another version of herself in this unusual film."

Although Griffiths maintains a busy working schedule, she makes time for such activities as cooking, surfing, and reading. "I become obsessed with certain things, so I read mostly non-fiction," she offered. "For example, I’ve read a tremendous amount about architectural theory and the history of architecture. Right now, because I’ve been traveling through the American Southwest, I’ve bought a lot of books on American Indians and American history."

Perhaps thinking this sounded a bit too serious, Griffiths added, "But I’m planning to take up sailing. That’s my next project. And, of course, there’s always time for dating." When asked about an internet report concerning her and American actor Eric Stoltz, she quickly responded, "Where did that come from? I’m not at all interested in becoming part of a famous show biz couple!"

Griffiths is interested in doing more than just acting in film. Tulip, a short movie she wrote and directed, earned accolades at festivals in Aspen, Palm Springs, and Melbourne. "It’s not a happy-ever-after story," she admitted. "I was taken with the idea of how a person could adjust to the loss of a partner after living together for 60 years. These ideas come to me and captivate me. I’m getting back to where I was in my college days when it was all about storytelling to me. If I love the story and it feels right to tell it through film, that interests me. I plan to do another short film this year, but it will be very different from Tulip."

Movie fans will be happy to learn that Griffiths has three full-length features coming up in which she plays a major role. "The thing I like best about being in films is the opportunity to work internationally with the best actors around," she exclaimed. In Blow, her co-star is Johnny Depp. According to an admiring Griffiths, "He’s an artist before he’s a star. He respects himself and the material and doesn’t freak out. I always appreciate Johnny Depp’s work." In Very Annie Mary, Griffiths appears with Ioan Gruffudd, the young Welsh actor who made such a hit in television’s Horatio Hornblower. "He’s beautiful!" she exclaimed. Griffiths also complimented the skill of British actors Alan Rickman and Natasha Richardson, her colleagues in an upcoming comedy entitled Blow Dry.

As a movie fan herself, Griffiths enjoys going to the cinema. Her current favorites? "I saw American Beauty several times," she responded. "And good for Hilary Swank. She gave such a brave performance in Boys Don’t Cry. I also loved Erin Brockovich. I just hope Julia Roberts finally gets the recognition she deserves for this movie. Julia has infinite skill at making what she does look effortless, but I know how difficult it is to do comedy after making Me Myself I. I can agree with that actor who whispered from his death bed, ‘Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.’"

It wouldn’t be too surprising if both Julia Roberts and Rachel Griffiths receive the recognition they deserve when the next Academy Award nominations are announced. (Editor’s Note: Roberts won; Griffiths wasn’t nominated.)