Sally Hawkins is grinning all the way to the bank as she talks to Steve Pratt about taking the lead of an ever-smiling school teacher in Happy-Go-Lucky

SALLY Hawkins is smiling as she enters the room.

gThanks for coming,h she says cheerfully. Perhaps shefs still in character as Poppy, the unwaveringly cheerful and caring heroine of Mike Leighfs new film Happy-Go- Lucky. Then again, she does have plenty to smile about, having already snagged a best actress prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

gI still havenft come down yet,h she says of attending that filmfest. gThe festival was great, a really classy festival. The people behind it are really for the arts. Theyfre engaged with film-makers.

gItfs so exciting to be there at the opening and go up the red carpet. And the response to Mike as well, he has an extraordinary following in Europe and you see that respect. Hefs a god, an icon in the filmmaking world. It was lovely to see that love and respect for him, it was just brilliant. Ifll start crying again in a minute.h Poppy, with her cheery manner, has been much debated. Some people find her unrelenting goodness annoying. Hawkins really liked her and loved playing her. gItfs quite interesting people have such an extreme reaction to her. A lot of people want to run a mile and others seem to embrace it. It could be a tad tiring at times but whatfs lovely about her is her energy.

gI gravitate towards those kind of people anyway, people that are energetic and funny who have that love of life thing and quite a positive nature. If I was going to have a flatmate it would be someone like Poppy.h If youfre full of the joys of life and naturally happy, she continues, people tend to regard it as a bad thing. They take it as a sign of being weak or not knowing their own mind, and also see the person as someone whofs a bit silly.

gLike she says, life is tough and can be hard and throw up all sorts of things but the people I admire are the ones who have that quality, itfs a real magic quality, something special.

gYou really need people like that. Life is about living it and trying to enjoy it as much as you can. Itfs a very good way of coping with life as well when it gets tough.h Happy-Go-Lucky marks Hawkinsf third collaboration with Leigh following All Or Nothing and Vera Drake. Thatfs on top of TV roles in Jane Austenfs Persuasion (which won her a best actress award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival 2007), Fingersmith and two series of Little Britain.

Leigh had told me earlier that Happy-Go- Lucky came about because he thought it was time for Hawkins to take a leading role in one of his films. This comes as news to her. gI didnft know, Ifm glad I didnft know,h she says.

Itfs scary every time you work with Leigh because, Hawkins explains, gyoufre making yourself open and vulnerable and youfre diving in headfirst with no script and no characterh. His method of working involves six or seven months of working with the actors on their characters and developing situations. Then he writes a script and shoots that.

gThatfs exhilerating but also very scary because you donft know where youfll end up or what the experience will be. Of course, you never know whatever you do but with a script you have a vague idea. I love the fact that itfs so open to possibility and by being so, itfs a very rich experience.h She recalls the words of the late Katrin Cartledge, who collaborated with the director several times and said that working on a Mike Leigh film you have to be open to the experience and enjoy the experience because thatfs what itfs all about.

Hawkinsf other film roles, including Layer Cake, Waz and The Painted Veil, have shown her willing and able to tackle lots of different things. gI love the fact that people donft recognise me and the disappearing into roles. Thatfs the magic of it and what itfs about for me,h she says.

gI like that Layer Cake and Vera Drake are extreme and you can become two different people. I love when people talk about Layer Cake and how they loved the film and didnft realise I was in it. Thatfs a complement really.h Shefs also in Woody Allenfs new film Cassandrafs Dream, giving her the opportunity to contrast his directing style with Leighfs. Both sparkle with knowledge of their craft, is one of her observations.

And both have a very dry sense of humour.

The difference is that Allen, like Leigh, is quite shy. gI just want to give him a hug all the time,h she says, displaying Poppy-like niceness.

Happy-Go-Lucky (15) opens in cinemas tomorrow

10:02am Thursday 17th April 2008

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