You're known for quirky, small films. What attracted you to a Disney film?

I'm quite intuitive about what I pick. Often it's to do with what I've just done and how I'm feeling. When I read the script for "The Rookie" I'd just finished the first series of Six Feet Under, which I enjoyed enormously, but certainly had bigger emotions explored on a daily basis than a human being is meant to have in a six month period, so I wasn't looking for anything too demanding. Also, I was too tired to do a lead role and liked the idea of playing someone less complicated than my TV character.

Were you aware that "The Rookie" was a true story?

Yes, I was and if it wasn't the story would almost seem unbelievable and a Hollywood cliché. I think a big part of our attraction to sport movies are the stories contained within the sports. There's nothing as exciting as a comeback - seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance. The film is full of little miracles, and the fact that it actually happened makes it a great sports story.

Did you have any desire to meet Jim Morris' wife, the person whom your character is based on?

No, I actually had her banned from set! No, not really, but I've always thought once you've sold your story to a movie studio then let the actors be true to their own instincts and the script. It was the same when I did "Hilary and Jackie", whilst doing the film I didn't want to meet Hilary, but once the movie was in the can I was happy to meet her.

Did you know anything about baseball before taking on the part?

The closest thing I've got to baseball is playing rounders at school or my brothers using me as a cricket stump and throwing cricket balls at me! So, no I didn't know much about the game but thankfully for my role I didn't really have to be a rocket scientist about the game.

You have a real gift for accents, are they surprised in the US to find out that you're Australian?

When I accepted my Golden Globe for Six Feet Under I think I surprised a lot of people once they heard me speak. Plus I have a habit of staying in accent for my roles and then at the end of filming going back to my Australian accent. I remember doing a pilot in the US and on the last day one of the crew asked me what I was going to do once we'd finished and I dropped my American accent and replied "I think I'm going to go back to Australia". The guy almost fell over!