We like it when Brits succeed in America: Robert Pattinson, David Beckham, Adele… and it seems there are more to come. Amelia Jackson-Gray has enjoyed success on hit US shows including Entourage and The Mentalist. Now Amelia takes on a lead role in Hollywood’s first independent 3D movie Deep Gold.

We spoke to Amelia about what it’s like being a Brit in Hollywood and what she likes about shopping online.

What was it like filming Deep Gold?

I had a great time. It was my first time in Asia and I love adventure, so I definitely loved exploring the unknown and seeing the East for the first time. Deep Gold is set in The Philippines on the beautiful island of Cebu so the scenery was gorgeous and the people were welcoming and so fun to be around. We shot a large part of the movie on a boat which was exciting having to take a smaller boat out to sea each day to get to set.

We heard you had to learn to scuba dive for the role. How was that?

It was one of the things that most attracted to me to the role. I have always loved to swim and getting the chance to learn to scuba dive and get certified for a role was very exciting to me. Since filming Deep Gold I have continued diving all over the world and have had a chance to see things only few people have seen, like the famous diving spot in Belize, ‘The Blue Hole’. I was lucky enough to see 10 sharks on that dive, up close in the wild with no cage and if it hadn’t been for my role in Deep Gold I may never have had that chance to swim with those sharks. It was one of the scariest but magical moments of my life.

You played Amy in Entourage, do you prefer filming movies or TV?

Entourage was a lot of fun to work on. The cast are very friendly and they made it easy to feel relaxed and comfortable to work. I like all areas of the acting profession for different reasons. I think if I had to stick to just doing TV, I would miss the time you get with films to develop a character and if I was to just do movies I would miss the challenge of thinking on my toes and having to make important decisions on the spot. I feel that each genre of acting has different benefits to help flex different acting muscles and I love them all.

What’s your favourite thing about being in the US?

I live in sunny California and I have always been a huge fan of the outdoors. There are some beautiful mountains and coastline around Los Angeles, where I am based and if I am not filming or working on something you’ll most likely find me hiking somewhere. The fact that the sun is always shining here is something I will always appreciate and it would have to be my favourite part about living in California.

You must be quite busy all the time do you have a specific beauty regime to keep you looking so great?

I think beauty comes from within and I work very hard at eating and living well. I love cooking and always make a huge effort to eat as many fresh and whole foods as possible. I also like to juice vegetables and try to drink a juice at least once a day so my body gets as many nutrients as possible. Plus I am a big fan of special tonics made from ancient minerals and pro biotics, which help break down heavy metals in the body that build up over time. I always workout outside as getting natural light everyday is a huge factor in looking and feeling great.

iFashion Magazine is all about fashion online – do you shop online a lot and if so do you have a favourite online boutique?

I love the idea of style and shopping made easy and discovering new online boutiques. I have many obligations and events to go to where I have to look my best and sometimes its not easy to keep coming up with new outfits and ideas from my own wardrobe. I recently joined an online boutique for shoes called ‘Sole Society’, where top stylists have got together and compiled style questions in a quiz when you first join, to put your own style profile together for you. Then each month they match your profile against hundreds of designer shoes they have access to and for a set monthly fee you receive a new pair of designer shoes that you can choose from a collection that have been pulled to fit your style profile. There’s no obligation, you can stop your subscription anytime or keep getting a new great pair of shoes for $50 a month.

Do you have a favourite designer?

Amelia – I love Giorgio Armani as a designer. I find all his pieces never become outdated in my wardrobe, in fact they just get better with time. I really appreciate the simplicity and quality of each of his pieces too, I find they are made so well, look great against the skin and I like how they show off the person as opposed to the piece you’re wearing. Giorgio you are a genius!!

What are your future ambitions?

There are many filmmakers that I am dying to work with. David Cronenburg has always been a favourite director of mine, having made classic films like “A History Of Violence” and “The Dead Zone”, I would love to work with him. After Avatar came out I was so impressed and James Cameron is a director that inspires me so much. I hear he’s doing a couple of 3D scuba diving films and its a huge ambition of mine to work with him, on one of those projects. On an entirely different note, I plan on writing my own cookbook one day to help people discover living a healthy and delicious alkaline lifestyle.