Carey Mulligan stars in the delightful An Education which is not only generating buzz for best film awards, but also for her superb performance as precocious teenager Jenny. We caught up with Carey during the London Film Festival to find out what it was about the material that drew her in and her experiences of working with acting heavyweights like Emma Thomson and Alfred Molina. 

Carey Mulligan: My main attraction was that Nick and written it, Lone was directing and the people who were already attached, such as Emma Thompson and Peter Sarsgaard. Lynn Barber's story was really important to me but really my focus was the script because I didn't feel like I was playing a young Lynn Barber, I felt like I was playing a fictionalised version of her story. It's really rare to find a young female character that has a journey - particularly one so young. I can play young, so I thought I might try and get this one.

Q. Who were your influences growing up?

Carey Mulligan: Well, Emma Thompson is probably my biggest acting influence, as well as Kate Winslet and Samantha Morton. When I started acting, I was lucky enough to work with some of the people, such as Judi Dench and people who do film, theatre and TV and who keep finding interesting parts. But Emma was probably the biggest influence so getting to work with her was pretty huge.

Q. Is there anything that interested you about the '60s and anything you'd have liked to have experienced?

Carey Mulligan: I think my interest, from what I understand, was that it wasn't a time when there were teenagers - you were either a child or a young adult. So, I like the idea that you went from one to the other and there was no time in between to be ridiculous. It was also just not a very interesting time - you're frustrated enough as a teenager... I certainly was at school. But to have everything added to that - that there's no rebellion and nothing going on must have been that much more frustrating. So, it was an interesting place to start and Jenny was an easy victim to get picked up into something quite extraordinary. I also liked the music. Lone gave me CDs of music that Jenny would have listened to. I thought the men looked beautiful as well - I wish they still dressed like that.

Q. There is talk of awards... are you aware of that and do you Google your own name?

Carey Mulligan: I'm aware of it in that people talk about it at things like this. They did in Toronto. I have Googled myself but it's horrible because you read one thing and think: "Oh, that's really nice." But then you read the next thing and it's horrible. So, I thought: "Well that's that." I don't do it anymore. I'd never been to a festival before Sundance and I'd never played a lead in a film, and so when it got picked up that was huge. So, everything since then has been even more huge. It's afforded me opportunities... I would never have had access to the parts I've managed to play this year. But that's what you want. I don't wake up in the morning and think: "What am I going to wear to tonight's premiere?" I wake up and think: "I can't remember my lines..." So, as long as I get to keep playing interesting parts, that's the No.1 thing. Everything else is great... because I think it means more people will see the film.

Q. Were you a rebellious teenager?

Carey Mulligan: I was quite straight-laced. I was quite academic until I was about 14 and then I went to boarding school where I had the opportunity to continue to be very academic, but got less interested in it and became more involved in acting. And then when I was aplpying for universities I used a couple of places on my UCAS form to apply for drama school without telling anyone... but didn't get into drama school. But that was the most rebellious thing I did... and I was still applying to go to higher education, so there wasn't anything dreadful. So, I was pretty dull really.

Carey Mulligan: I've always played parts younger than myself. When I was 19 I did a play where I was 14, so I've always gone back four or five years. It's really rare that I play an adult. So, I didn't worry about that too much. When you put on the school uniform you don't wear any make-up, you wear your hair a certain way, and you feel very young. I was around 16-year-old extras. The part was written so well that I kind of understood her as a 16-year-old. But we were pros on set and were really nervous during the first few days, so we didn't mess around too much.

Q. How did you feel about not getting into drama school now, at the time, and whether you feel it's helped or hindered?

Carey Mulligan: I applied for three and went to the auditions and it's still the most terrifying experience of my whole life. For one of them I had to stand up on stage in front of 10 other people in the same group as me auditioning and do my piece. I did Shakespeare and I'd never had any training in Shakespeare, so it was a nightmare. When I didn't get in I was disappointed, but 2,000 people apply for each of these places every year and it's hugely competitive. I did some awfully pretentious monologue about suicide and I come from a really happy life, so it wasn't working for me [laughs]. So, I guess it wasn't a huge surprise really. But I always wanted to go. I was in New York last week and I went past Juliard and I felt really that I pined for it. It was my dream for years... to train. Dominic went and he's doing alright. But some people don't go and do brilliantly. Although I think there are things I missed from not having trained. I think I'd be more confident on stage had I gone because I think it means you're equipped with better vocal training and things like that. But in general it's worked out very well and I've been really lucky. I might still go... because I feel like I've missed out on technical things that I haven't had through just acting.

Q. How much did getting into costume inform who you are? And is there anything you'd have like to have kept?

Carey Mulligan: I got the dress that I wore in Paris... the purple, flowery thing. But that was a very kind present. I think the minute you put on the shoes makes a huge difference. There's a scene where I'm wearing a high neck tartan curtain thing and Rosamund [Pike] is wearing this voluptuous, stunning Marilyn Monroe thing and you feel it - it makes a difference!

Carey Mulligan: I think when you do bigger jobs... I wouldn't have got Wall Street 2 if I hadn't done An Education. But when you do bigger jobs there's more attention and when you film in New York you get loads of paparazzi everywhere. It affects your work because you're trying to think about the person you're acting with and you've got 20 other lenses taking pictures of you at the same time, and it throws you. I'm not great at having my picture taken and I don't enjoy that side of it very much but I enjoy being with my friends and it's nice to have a reunion. I've got an amazing job and I get to work with brilliant people, so there's a two per cent downside of slightly negative stuff on the internet or wherever. But in general, I'm feeling pretty brilliant, so it's hard to feel that concerned with it right now.

An Education was screened at the London Film Festival and will be on general release in the UK from October 30th.