From Saturday Night Magazine

With so many hot, young Hollywood starlets vying for the spotlight, it isn’t easy setting yourself apart from the pack and demonstrating you’ve really got the chops to make it big, but Amber Heard is doing just that. If you haven’t heard (pardon the pun) of this rising star, chances are you will soon. At the ripe old age of 22, Heard is quickly joining the ranks of Hollywood’s sexy leading ladies and has no interest in slowing down. This summer, Heard will star in the much-anticipated Judd-Apatow comedy-thriller Pineapple Express and has a stockpile of juicy projects in the works. With the sex appeal and savvy of a young Angelina Jolie, we think Amber has what it takes to conquer the scene in a big way. This is one name you will soon be hearing often.


Arriving at our shoot in downtown Los Angeles fresh faced and ready for action, it’s clear that Heard isn’t afraid of jumping right in. After her “glam squad” preps the already gorgeous starlet, Heard turns up her iPod and excitedly gets in front of the camera, turning out one breathtaking shot after the other. From donning swimwear to standing on a table beside the railing of the Barker Block rooftop for one of the shots, Heard is remarkably fearless, a trait that seems to give her an edge in such a competitive industry.


Coming into Pineapple Express, Heard had to rely heavily on her courage since starring in a Judd Apatow film meant she would be working with the Apatow gang, many of whom had been working together for over 10 years and which includes talents like Seth Rogen and James Franco. “All of the guys are pretty friendly in their lives. They work together. They go home and they drink beer together,” says Heard. Worried she might not fit in with the “boys club,” Heard was a little nervous on her first day on set, and it didn’t help that her very first scene was to be improvised. But as her first take was underway, Heard’s nerves died down as she dived into a witty banter with Rogen. “We had to call cut because too many extras and the camera crew were laughing,” she recalls. From then on, Heard found her place among the group and enjoyed the shoot immensely. “That’s the thing about these guys,” she says. “There is absolutely no way you could not fall in love and feel anything but completely welcomed.”


In the film, Heard plays Angie, Rogen’s love interest. “She’s a neurotic, crazy bitch who doesn’t understand what is really going on especially with her boyfriend,” explains Heard, adding that she ironically spent more time being dramatic in her scenes than anything else. “My first big comedy, and I’m crying and screaming,” she laughs.

Typically cast as the “pretty girl/girlfriend” in films like Never Back Down and All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Heard welcomed the opportunity to step beyond these roles and embrace the unbalanced character. “As many roles as I get to do, like the pretty girl, the prom queen; I like to choose other ones regardless of how much they pay,” she says. Heard’s interest to explore her ability as an actress is yet another reason she manages to separate herself from the it-girl pack who often choose to impress the audience with how great they look on camera rather than what they do in front of it. And while her work is generating buzz, Heard keeps her private life… well…private. “I’m young and I’m single, and I definitely enjoy my private life,” she says. “I’m not insecure, and I don’t need to be validated by paparazzi. I want my career to speak for me.”


Personal time, however, is not easy to come by these days for Heard. In fact, finding time in her busy schedule to do our shoot was no easy task. “If people ask me how I avoid all the BS, I often tell them, I’m not looking for it. I’m hardly ever in L.A., I’m always working,” she says. Heard is currently in her hometown of Austin, Texas filming Ex-Terminators, a dark comedy also starring Heather Graham and Jennifer Coolidge. When the topic of working with the talented and equally hilarious Coolidge comes up, Heard gushes, “Jennifer is really really inspiring. I don’t know what my expectations were when I met her. She is one of the funniest people I’ve ever had the honor of working with.” While comedy is a new genre for Heard, she is really enjoying the experience of letting loose and developing her craft as a comedic actress. “I really love comedy and being able to have fun on set and let go and have a great time.”

Bold, articulate and wise beyond her years, Heard is not your everyday young starlet. Believe it or not, good looks and talent in one is not easy to come by in Hollywood, and Heard knows it. “If you work with the tools easiest to combine and use the gifts you have, you can create more opportunities for yourself,” she says. In
an industry that markets itself primarily on first impressions, Heard has managed to prove there is much more to her than just a pretty face.

By Jillian Gordon

Photography: Bobby Quillard
Clothing provided by: DDC Lab, YMI Jeanswear, Tadashi Shoji, Belusso, Cosa Nostra
Stylist: Cliff Hoppus
Hair Stylist: David Gardner
Makeup Artist: Spencer Barnes
Location: Barker Block, Downtown LA