(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Carey Mulligan was so desperate for the lead in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo she dyed her hair black and got fake nose rings.
The 25-year-old actress had no qualms about radically transforming her appearance to audition for the part of violent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander because it was her dream role.
Despite her commitment, the British actress was unsuccessful and the role was handed to 25-year-old American actress Rooney Mara.
I auditioned for it three times. I dyed my hair black, got fake nose rings and covered my face in black make-up, she told Stylist magazine. So yeah, I would have loved that part!
The film is based on the bestselling series of books written by Stieg Larsson and sees Lisbeth get involved in a series of gruesome incidents as she fights crimes alongside journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who will be played by Daniel Craig.
Carey gained widespread recognition for playing the lead role of Jenny in An Education, wining a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Additionally, she was nominated for the corresponding Golden Globe Award and Oscar for her performance.
Following her breakthrough role as Jenny, she has appeared in a number of big movies such as Brothers and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, but has revealed she was once an aspiring theatre actress.
I really like making films but I never set out to be in films, I set out to be a theatre actress really. I like that you can go on stage for three hours and nobody can say, Cut, she said.
I like it when you are on stage, blinded by the lights, and you cant see anything but the actors you are working with so you dont think about anything else. With film its much harder to focus.
Carey has a number of upcoming projects. She began filming Steve McQueens Shame in January, and she will also star in the Atlantic Theatre Companys off-Broadway play Through a Glass Darkly from May 2011. She will also star opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2012 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby.
The actress says she chooses her parts by the scripts that make her feel apprehensive.
Strong, interesting characters that sort of make me nervous. I want to read a script and think Where would I begin? Who is she? she explained. (C) Cover Media