10 minutes with...Hayley Atwell

Where are the bruises from?
I play an officer in the Flying Squad and in one scene I was running after a bad guy with a rounders bat. I had to throw him against some wooden crates, but then he flung me over his shoulder.

What's Ben Drew like on set?
He's charismatic and creative but also one of the lads. The testosterone on this film is insane. There's so much of it flying around I fear I may grow a beard. I'm not easily shocked, thank God: if you have the likes of Ray and Ben armed with guns in a warehouse full of crates and broken glass, then it can get a bit rowdy.

Have you always been quite tough?
I played prop in the girls' rugby team at the London Oratory School. For Captain America I trained with an ex-marine six days a week for two and a half months. Part of the screen test involved loading guns and an unarmed fight scene.

Sounds like you could be a Bond girl in the making
I'd rather be Bond. I'd prefer to do something stronger where gender doesn't really come into it.

You won the admiration of Emma Thompson when you worked together on Brideshead Revisited, what was her best piece of advice to you?
Always wear matching underwear. For Brideshead we sat around in between takes wearing undergarments from the 1920s that are really uncomfortable. Emma was right: when you're wearing lovely matching underwear you can take on the world.

Have you been to any wild wrap parties?
Very few people end up being able to get to wrap parties. You usually just have a few drinks, maybe a kebab and go home shattered.

What are you looking forward to most about Christmas?
Being able to feed people. I have this strong instinct to feed people even when they're not hungry. I've been making gingerbread houses and caramel cupcakes and bringing them on set. Ray loves anything with caramel on it.

An interviewer once compared your relationship with your mum, a motivational speaker, to that of Eddy and Saffy in Ab Fab, would you agree?
No, my poor mother was so distraught by that. I think that relationship is tragic. My mum and I were best friends when I was growing up. We were like sisters.

Captain America: The First Avenger is available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray Triple Play and DVD on Monday