'I used to pick up animals on the street and throw them as far as I could'

Billie Piper, 29, was born in Swindon. She studied at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. At 15, she became a pop star with the hit song Because We Want To. At 18, she married broadcaster Chris Evans. Since her early 20s, she has concentrated on acting. On TV she played Rose in Doctor Who and Belle in The Secret Diary Of A Call Girl. Film credits include Animals United, Spirit Trap and Things To Do Before You're 30. In 2007, she made her stage debut in Christopher Hampton's Treats and she is currently starring in Neil LaBute's Reasons To Be Pretty at the Almeida in London. She is married to the actor Laurence Fox. They have a son and live in West Sussex.

When were you happiest?

My son's second birthday. It was a typical autumn day – bright sky, cold fingers. He was dressed as a skeleton and we ate chilli in the garden.

What is your earliest memory?

Eating chips on the way home from playschool, looking forward to an episode of Puddle Lane, age three.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

My mother. She raised four children pretty much on her own. My father was around, but always out at work.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My obsession with time.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

People who point when they talk.

What is your most treasured possession?

My old love letters and pen pal correspondence.

What would your super power be?

Perfect grace.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Man hands, jaw, etc.

What do you owe your parents?

Apologies.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Chloë Moretz. She's simply brilliant.

What is your favourite word?

Skillet or glottal stop.

What is your favourite book?

Bertrand Russell, The Conquest Of Happiness.

What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?

Willow Ufgood.

What is the worst thing anyone's said to you?

"I hope you die this Christmas" – you know who you are.

What does love feel like?

Good hate.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Joan Rivers.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Super, shut up you posh twat.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

My face.

If you could edit your past, what would you change?

My throwing animals phase. I used to pick up animals on the street and launch them as far as I could.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

London in the 1930s, with money, spirit and an appetite for fun and lots of beautiful dresses.

What is the closest you've come to death?

Labour. Death wasn't on the cards, but it felt like it might have been.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Donny Hathaway, For All We Know.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Men are stupid, but women are crazy.

Tell us a secret.

I was so vicious when I was pregnant with our son that my husband developed a stammer.

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