Isla Fisher: I battled shyness
Isla Fisher learned to laugh at herself to help her make friends when she was younger.
The redheaded star is known for playing loveable characters in romantic comedies such as Wedding Crashers and Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Off screen she is also famed for her wicked sense of humour, but Isla admits she hasn’t always been so bubbly.
“I went to something like six different schools before the age of 12, so I was always the new girl and had to make friends quickly,” she recalled to the UK edition of Cosmopolitan.
“It was difficult at the start because I was very bookish – I was literally sat in the corner reading books, with no friends. So I learnt to be funny and to take the p**s out of myself in order to ingratiate myself. I think it’s one of the best skills in life.”
Isla began her career on TV soap Home and Away and landed her first big movie role in 2002’s Scooby-Doo.
Now starring in movies such as Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, the 37-year-old is a firm believer in fate.
“I’ve had no helping hand in Hollywood. But in general I’ve found that when it comes to getting jobs, what’s meant for you can’t pass you by,” she explained.
“I’ve tried to follow that philosophy because otherwise you can drive yourself crazy when you’re out there presenting yourself and you get so much rejection.”
Isla grew up in Australia but now lives in Los Angeles with her husband Sacha Baron Cohen and their children Olive and Elula.
The actress had to learn how to adapt to her new environment.
“The secrets to surviving LA are the secrets to surviving anywhere: get a good group of friends and get some rituals – go to a spinning class, whatever. Find a community, as it can be very isolating here,” she admitted.
“I’ve got a mix of friends in LA. Some friends I’ve made since I came out here, but they’re mostly from before. I have an open-house policy and a lot of my friends who don’t have access to childcare drop their kids with me. You’ll often find me in the playroom, surrounded! We have a lot of barbecues too.”