From Collider.com

Opening tomorrow is the horror/thriller The Stepfather. The film is about Penn Badgley’s (Gossip Girl) character returning home from military school and finding his mother living with a new boyfriend. As the two men get to know one another, Badgley’s character grows suspicious. As you might imagine, action ensues. Anyway, I got to speak with Amber Heard earlier today as she plays the Penn Badgley’s girlfriend in the movie. While readers of Collider know I prefer doing video interviews, Amber was only available for phoners, so that’s how this was done.

During our short conversation, Heard talked about making The Stepfather, doing a cameo in Zombieland (she played the hot neighbor in the beginning of the film), and she also talked about playing Johnny Depp’s girlfriend in next year’s The Rum Dairy. Our conversation after the jump:

So I guess the first question is can you describe what the last few years has been like for you as an actor, because you’ve sort of been bouncing from project to project.

Amber Heard: Yeah, I’m fortunate in the sense that I have never stopped working since I arrived in L.A. 6 years ago or something like that, but I’m lucky in that sense. I’m also very tired. The last few years have been non-stop for me. I’ve been going from job to job without even going home in-between jobs for the last year. And I’m doing what I love. I’m enjoying the perks of the job-the travel. I am having a great time being a shape shifter and I’m really getting a kick out of it. I love my job.

I definitely have a few questions for you. But I’d better ask about The Stepfather as that is the reason I’m talking to you. How much fun did you have making this thing? Was this one of those fun movies to make or was it like a challenging shoot? Could you sort of talk about the behind the scenes?

Amber: The Stepfather, you know, I always really have a good time making thrillers and horror films as a way of causing this like lightness about….I mean there’s like a subsequent lightness to making these kinds of films because you can never take yourself too seriously. I mean, when you’re running from the killer one minute and then having coffee with him the next, you kind of have to laugh at it all. And it kind of prevents people from taking themselves too seriously and there’s a great camaraderie’s that’s build subsequently and I always have a good time, so this film was really fun to make. There’s fake blood, there’s action, there’s jumping, there’s water, there’s rain machines, there’s punching, falling. And a chainsaw.

Okay. So are you a little bit surprised by the ridiculous success of Zombieland?

Amber: (laughter) It’s a good movie. I’m not surprised at all. I knew it would be good when I read the script, however, I only had a couple of days. The director called me and said, look can we make this cameo for you? Can we make it work? And I said, I only have 2 days. He said we’ll make it work then. And I had a great time doing it and I’m glad I got to be a disgusting zombie because I’m so….you can only be the pretty girl so much, you know? It’s good to kind of have a good time with yourself and not take it so seriously.

Yeah, I thought you did a very good job in the film.

Amber: Thank you.

Next question for you, of course I have to ask you about The Rum Diary.

Amber: Yes.

How much fun did you have making that thing and what can people expect in it?

Amber: It was an amazing experience. I’m a huge fan of Hunter S. Thompson and I met with Johnny Depp about it and he was instrumental in casting me as Chenault, who plays Johnny’s character’s love interest. So I was playing his love interest along with Aaron Eckhart and there a slew of other brilliant filmmakers and actors in this movie and involved in this movie. It’s directed and written by Bruce Robinson and like I said before it’s a Hunter S. Thompson story and I am just honored to be working on something he was involved in in any way.

Was that a project that you fought for or was it a project that came to you?

Amber: I fought really hard for that role. It was a long process-a grueling one. I wrote letters to the people involved. I committed myself to being this character and ultimately I had the opportunity to work on it, so I’m extremely happy for my hard work. It paid off.

And now if I’m not mistaken, you’re working with John Carpenter now?

Amber: I already wrapped on that movie, yeah, I’m working with a horror legend, which is great for me because clearly it’s a genre I love. And I couldn’t be more honored to be working with somebody who’s made a name for himself doing this genre, and it’s a good script. It’s a fantastic story and having just shot it, I have nothing but high hopes for it because it can be fantastic.