Camilla Belle is no stranger to fashion — or taking fashion risks.
Just take one look at the sexy Jason Wu ensemble she wore to the premiere of her latest film, From Prada to Nada.
"We (the cast) keep getting asked who our favorite designer is, and we all kind of look at each other and wonder if we're supposed to say 'Prada,' " the 24-year-old actress says with a laugh (in case you were wondering, she likes Jean Paul Gaultier and the late Alexander McQueen for their creativity).
In Prada, out today, Belle takes her first jump into the romantic-comedy genre. She stars as spoiled Nora Rodriguez, who, along with her sister, discovers a deeper side to their heritage after their father's sudden death leaves them penniless and forced to move in with their estranged aunt in East Los Angeles. The story is a Latin spin on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, which Belle calls one of her "favorite films."
Belle, whose mother is Brazilian, says part of the appeal of the role was "playing someone from a Mexican background. ... Nothing had come along with a character I really liked. I come from a multicultural background and it really sheds a positive light on the Mexican culture, and I always see films that show violence and the negative aspect to these Latin countries. I loved that this film didn't."
With an acting résumé that includes role in 10,000 B.C., When a Stranger Calls, and Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Belle relished the experience of playing Nora. "She goes from being a nerdy law student that has completely ruled out relationships and really blossoms throughout the film. I was like, 'Finally I get to have fun!' I'd never really done anything light like that before. We literally were laughing the entire time."
Her co-stars included Alexa Vega and Wilmer Valderrama, whom she calls "a clown." Belle says the bonds she formed with the Prada cast are her strongest yet.
And it's important to have good friends in Hollywood — just don't go jumping to any conclusions, says Belle. "I'm never going to apologize for having a lot of guy friends, and I always have," says Belle, who knows firsthand what it's like to have her personal life be misconstrued. "That happens, and I'm not going to live my life where I'm not going to go out and have a coffee or lunch with my guy friends."
But Belle, who recently found herself a tabloid target after being photographed at a party with a newly single Jake Gyllenhaal, says she's not letting it get to her. "At the same time, it obviously gets old and you can't pay attention or it's going to drive you mad. I choose to live my life in a private way and I choose not to talk about it. There's no point in talking about it."
So it's no surprise that the beautiful Belle is coy when asked if she'll have a valentine on Feb. 14. "Who knows?" she says. "It's still far enough away, anything can happen."
Besides, she says, her best Valentine's Day to date was in high school with her closest girlfriends. The night involved cooking dinner at Belle's house, and the girls weren't alone — they each brought photographs of their dream dates. Who was Belle's? "I'm thinking mine was definitely Russell Crowe."
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