By Crystal Meers

“Carpe omnes,” says Amber Heard. “It’s not just seize the day – which is grossly overused. It’s seize everything. I like that. I’ll take it all.” Heard smiles prettily.

This try-everything philosophy has served her well: prior to landing what many will consider her breakout role as Seth Rogen’s love interest in Pineapple Express, she tackled just about every type of role, from bit parts on acclaimed TV series like Friday Night Lights and Californication to leads in ill-fated shows like Hidden Palms. But if the characters have anything in common, it’s that they’re definitely nothing like the actress herself. “I couldn’t tell you a single character that I really identify with,” she says. “I tend to pick roles that are challenging for me emotionally.”

Indeed, Heard stands apart from many of her starlet contemporaries in that she was drawn to Hollywood not by a quest for fame or a desire to make out with Emile Hirsch, but by an honest-to-goodness love of acting that’s been with her since she first read the classics growing up in Austin. “When I read about the Greek stage, and how magnificent it was, it changed my life,” says Heard. “Eventually, drama became the only class I would actually show up to.”

Perhaps her maverick spirit is the result of an unusual upbringing during which she split her time between the arts and a rougher, tougher, Texas lifestyle. Her mother, an artist, taught her the value of beauty and a love for all things domestic; her father turned her into his hunting and fishing buddy. As a result, Heard is an avid dinner party-thrower with a love for couture and caviar who prefers to ride western and owns a .357 Magnum. “I know how to use my gun responsibly,” she reasons when this discovery is met with some surprise. “I grew up with them.”

But such hobbies aside, nothing was likely to deter this driven young woman from her goal, and after completing all her academic requirements at 16, Heard headed for New York City and then to Los Angeles to begin her acting career. And after the aforementioned forays into television, and roles in Alpha Dog and Never Back Down, she seems finally to be hitting the Hollywood jackpot — and her celluloid-ready looks are not her only asset, as her upcoming performances confirm. Those who fell for her as Angie in the summertime side-splitter Pineapple Express (i.e. everyone), can plan on catching her on the silver screen as horror flick heartthrob Mandy in All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, Nikki in the indie dramedy Ex-Terminators, and Christie, a promiscuous young lady growing up fast on the dark and dirty side of Los Angeles, in Bret Easton Ellis’ The Informers – and that’s just this year. “I just want to work on a good script,” she says. “I don’t care what the genre is.”

Most recently, Heard finished shooting The River Why, an adaptation of the book of the same name, touted to be the first all green film production. ““It’s one hundred percent environmentally conscious, from the catering to the transportation,” Heard explains. “We had no cell phones, no internet. We were out in the middle of nowhere and that’s a beautiful thing. I’ve never slept so good. It was so easy, it’s frustrating that it’s not done more often. I’m proud to be a part of something that’s respectful.” ”

Granted, she won’t be trading in her ’68 Mustang for a hybrid anytime soon (“It takes more energy to produce one than it saves!” she points out) – in fact, she’s in the market for a ’67 Fastback (you can take the girl out of Texas…). But Heard’s social conscience extends beyond the environment: She’s setting up an organization to help women in Darfur get water. “It’s a single task mission,” she says modestly. “I’m not trying to solve any crisis, I’m not trying to take on the world, I’m just doing my part.” She and a friend are also working on a book of photographs from their travels, which have included stints in Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, Holland, France, Belgium, and Canada. “We drink in great places, eat great food, and we get into trouble,” she laughs. But in all seriousness, she adds, “We want to use the project to bring attention to the parts of the world where we’ve been and to help the situations there. Raising awareness is the most important thing.”

As for what else the future holds, Heard isn’t ruling out anything, but she has a few pet ideas. “I would love to be involved in the making of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged or Fountainhead,” she enthuses. “But I don’t know exactly where those scripts are — probably in Angelina’s lap!” Until they show up, she’s keeping busy, with more movies on the way and a host of extras–everything from picnicking at the Hollywood Bowl to traveling to making what she classifies as terrible paintings. “Five words describe my paintings: Horrible but full of heart,” she laughs. “They aren’t very good but I love it and it makes me happy.” We just hope she doesn’t quit her day job.