If you expect Anna Faris to be like the laugh- a-minute comic characters she plays on- screen, brace yourself for disappointment.

In real life, the 31-year-old actress is more subdued and in control than the ditzy Playmate Shelley Darlington she plays to rib-tickling effect in her latest film, The House Bunny.

Since her breakout role as Cindy Campbell in Scary Movie in 2000, she has made a name for herself in the physical comedy genre, reprising her role in each of the next three Scary Movie instalments.

But she has far from blonde ambitions. She plans to broaden her scope, beginning with the producer hat she wears in The House Bunny, on top of playing the title role that she thought up herself.

'I was thinking one day, a couple of years ago, what happens to a girl who's lived up there in the mansion and goes to the parties every day and has lived a perfect life, and what happens when she gets a little too old,' she says in a telephone interview with Life! from her Los Angeles home.

She then approached Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz, writers of the chick flick Legally Blonde (2001), starring Reese Witherspoon, to develop the film. Shelley is a Playboy Bunny whose time in the famed Playboy Mansion is up. Thrown out with nowhere to go, she finds herself becoming house mum to a group of oddball college girls in a sorority.

Faris is slated to star in at least four upcoming comedies in the next two years - from Young Americans with Topher Grace to Observe And Report with Seth Rogan.

For the actress, who was born and raised in Seattle, acting came naturally - she attended drama lessons at age six.

Last year, she ended a four-year marriage to actor Benjamin Indra, citing irreconcilable differences, according to a People magazine report.

Apart from her real-life drama, she is keeping things light: 'I love making comedies. It's the most enjoyable form of work for me. I'd love to do dramatic stuff at some point, but not now,' she says.

1 What was your first impression of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner?

He is very charming and very, very sweet, although he stared a lot at my chest - all the time, unfortunately. But he is a wonderful man and I am so glad he supported our movie.

2 Was the character Shelley inspired by any of the real-life Playmates?

No, but many people say she is a lot like Bridget (Marquardt), one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends. I did not mean for it to happen like that, though.

3 To prepare for your role in The House Bunny, you began working out. What did you do and how much weight did you lose?

I lost 2 to 4.5kg. I have a pretty small frame but I have never had to be in a sexy shape for a role before because I have never played those kinds of roles. I worked out a lot, did pilates, ran a lot and I really enjoyed it and felt really good. But in the movie, I am still definitely pushed up, pulled in, tucked in and sewn into all my outfits.

4 Would you be producing more comedies, like what you did with The House Bunny?

I hope to. I loved making this movie and I want to produce more. It is very rewarding and inspiring for me. I am trying to do more.

5 Have you ever encountered people who expect you to be funny all the time, even in real life?

I am so glad you asked that. It happens all the time. I am going to disappoint people because I am not necessarily very funny in person. I mean I am happy, but I am not that funny. So I always think people are going to say, 'Oh my god, I was expecting her to be funny because she's always in all these comedies'. I feel embarrassed when they do that.

6 In The House Bunny, Shelley becomes a role model for the girls in the sorority. Who is your role model?

I would say my parents are my role models. They have such a wonderful marriage and are both so smart, loving and caring and make me feel like I can do anything I want. They are both very involved in charity and I would love to be able to find a path like what they have found.

7 In the movie, Shelley and the girls learn many lessons from the men in the film. What are some real-life lessons you have learnt from men and your relationships?

I am a pretty strong woman, so I do not know if I have learnt a lot. From my older brother, I have learnt to have a sense of humour and to laugh at myself because he is always laughing at the stupid stuff that I do. I have been through a few heartbreaks and if I can be true to myself and be who I am, hopefully things will work out.

8 Complete this sentence: If I could live my life all over again...

I would maybe join the Peace Corps? Give back a little more. Maybe become a doctor in Doctors Without Borders. Having said that, I feel happy with the decisions I have made so far. I feel lucky that I get to be in a profession that I want to be in.

• The House Bunny is showing in cinemas.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 6, 2008.