Torque star Martin Henderson got his big Hollywood break starring opposite Naomi Watts in 2003 hit The Ring. These days the 29-year-old is based in LA, but he was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and cut his teeth acting in the popular soap Shortland Street. After moving to Australia he combined theatre and TV work, before relocating to America. He will next been seen in Gurinder Chadha's Bride And Prejudice.

You look quite at home riding your motorbike in Torque - have you owned bikes in the past?

I had a motorbike when I was a teenager, but my father made me get rid of it because I wasn't very responsible.

But you'd never ridden anything quite as powerful as the Aprilia Mille RSV?

Not at all, though I soon got used to it. I loved that machine. The first time I hopped on it, I turned my wrist and the thing just took off with such a force I almost fell off the back. I wasn't sure I'd be able to look cool on it, I was hanging on for dear life. But we had really good instructors, and we had to go through a pretty intensive training period for a month before we started shooting the film.

Is it true that you ended up riding into your co-star Ice Cube at one point?

Yeah, that was a really smart move! I think I'm the only little white guy who's lived to tell the story, to tell you the truth. He was very sweet about it, though, he just told me not to get so close. I said "yes sir". He's a cool guy actually, there's very much a gentler, sweeter side to him that most people don't get to see. We became good friends, thankfully.

Has the film made you rush out and buy a bike for yourself?

I don't know how wise that would be. I felt I just about got away with my motorbike experience when I was a teenager. I don't know about tempting fate again. I'm not the safest person on a bike.

Would now be a good time to mention the Rugby World Cup?

Not really, I'd rather you mentioned the Oscars, mate.

Good point. It must be fun being a New Zealander in Hollywood right now...

I'm a bit worried. It's always been cool to be a New Zealander in Hollywood, but now I think it's getting passé

The next thing we'll see you in is quite different again - as Mr Darcy in Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood film, Bride And Prejudice...

That's very different. In fact Gurinder was over here recently. We finished the final couple of weeks of filming in LA and once she was done, she had a meeting over at Warner Bros and there happened to be a screening of Torque on. She snuck in and had a peek. Afterwards she called me up and said "Oh my God, that's not you!". It just weirded her out, she couldn't relate to me as that person. So I guess I was lucky that I got to do Bride And Prejudice before Torque was released.