Sienna Miller is worried that we’ve all been getting to know her too quickly. Her flawless face has already graced the cover of numerous magazines and she is constantly tracked by intrusive paparazzi photographers. The 22 year old Londoner resents it. "I’ m not very happy about it to be honest," she says. "It makes me uncomfortable because I don’t think it’s as a result of having a film come out, I think it’s as a result of being scrutinised because of the relationship I’m in.

The relationship in question is her romance of a year or so with Jude Law, who happens to be the star of Alfie, the film on which they first met. Since then, Ms Miller has discovered that dating one of the most famous men on the planet brings instant media interest whether you like it or not. But she now hopes that her work will finally catch up with that degree of exposure. We talk to her about new film Alfie...

Q. Was Alfie your first movie?
A. Pretty much. I did a movie called Layer Cake which was just before this. I did that in June last year and Alfie in September. I got both roles at the same time but Layer Cake was only five days (laughs) it doesn’t count.

Q. Nikki is a very demanding role to state the obvious. Were you worried about the scenes when you are wearing very little?
A. Well the physical stuff I didn’t find difficult necessarily because I think it was relevant for the character. We talked about it and I had the option of not doing it if I didn’t feel comfortable with it. But I felt that in that scene that it was so desperate, it would be such a desperate thing to do for this girl who is trying anything to make him stay that it would make people uncomfortable so if I felt uncomfortable I think it was relevant for the scene.

Q. And the emotional vulnerability?
A. It was hard and the film was hard because the character is so complex and I wanted to do her justice and not be cliché about nuttiness. You want to keep a certain subtlety. The break up scene I think we shot a Thursday, Friday and then had Saturday and Sunday off and then again on a Monday and Tuesday so this thing dragged on and on for some reason we did a lot of coverage, we wanted to get it from a lot of angles. And I just remember feeling crap for that weekend. I mean, it penetrates, it does, you are sitting there going over and over this hideous break up with someone and yeah it definitely gets under you skin, it’s hard and it did get a bit manic. But I do think that the environment on that set was very conducive to make it as real as possible. It did affect me, it’s tough but it’s fun.

Q. Have you ever met anyone like Nikki?
A. No. Actually, maybe I have met a few people who have shown signs of it but I would normally bolt if I saw too much of Nikki in anyone.

Q. But she is obviously very seductive...
A. Yeah. A lot of men have said that they have met women like her and I guess men would meet it more because women wouldn’t necessarily reveal that side or have to unless they are in a relationship but I’ve seen when people get drunk and they get a bit, you know...

Q. Have you met guys like Alfie?
A. Oh God, I’ve met them but but I have not stayed talking to them very long. I’ve got a good radar...