Spanish actress Paz Vega has been on the rise ever since starring in racy romance Sex And Lucia for director and compatriot Julio Berdem. Soon afterwards she worked with acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar in Talk To Her and now gets her Hollywood break opposite Adam Sandler in James L Brooks' romantic comedy Spanglish.

James L Brooks embarked on a worldwide search to cast Flor. What was the audition process like?

I read the script and I fell in love with it because the story is amazing. When I went to the audition, I knew a lot about the character Flor. I made a tape and sent the tape with one scene of the script. Then after Jim Brooks' office answered, they said he wants to know her in person. I had to travel to LA in a weekend and the audition was on a Sunday for five hours in the office. After that, I got the job.

You didn't know how to speak English, so how did you study the script?

Yeah, it was difficult, but I had a script in Spanish, of course, because it would be impossible for me. After, I had to learn to memorise my lines in English with a coach. I memorised them phonetically and that's it. I had classes in English, but only after.

You needed an interpreter to communicate with the director. Was it difficult for you, being an outsider like that?

Yeah, it was difficult, but it was like an adventure every day. Everybody on the set spoke a bit of Spanish too. It was very interesting to live with people every day like this, but if you couldn't understand something, or say something, you just mimic. Everybody tried to communicate without words sometimes. It was good.

Did you help the others with their Spanish just as they helped you with your English?

Yeah, at the end, everybody on the set was speaking Spanish! Adam Sandler doesn't speak too much, just some words like, "déme un beso" which means 'give me a kiss!' And that's it! That's all he knows! He is super funny.

Apart from kissing, what other ways did you use to communicate?

It was very easy, because when you don't have one sense, like the language, you still have other senses. If you are very open, sometimes you can understand and you don't know why you understand, but you can.

Is it true you used an accent coach, because of the differences between the Spanish and Mexican dialects?

Yeah, it's different. It's the same between your British accent and the LA accent, for example. I can hear the differences very much. There are different sounds.

You have a very warm relationship with Shelbie Bruce who plays your daughter. Were you closer to her on set because she could speak Spanish?

Yes, she helped me a lot. When people were speaking to me in English, sometimes I needed her help. Shelbie translated for me when I couldn't understand what Jim was saying. It was good and good for the relationship in front of the camera.

In the film, the Latin culture is portrayed as having more of an emphasis on family values than modern America. What are your feelings about that?

Yeah, I think it's true that in Latin culture it's more important - the family, the children. In America it's more important to have personal fulfilment in work. I think it's different because in America, when you talk with women, it's a difficult thing when she says, "Oh, I want to be a mother. I want to have kids." It's not usual. Most women say, "I want to be director of my company." It's a different lifestyle.

How important is the balance of career and family in your own life?

For me, the family is more important, of course! I don't want to change my family, or situation, for work. But I think it is possible for these things not to fight each other.

In the film, you're shocked to see Adam Sandler crying. Do you think it's true that Latin men don't express their emotions well?

It all depends. My husband is from Venezuela and he cries when he needs to cry! He's not like what you think of Latin men who are very strong and don't cry.

Was going from Spain to Hollywood a culture shock, just as it is for your character moving from Mexico to America?

No, it's different, but not a strange culture. It is another mentality, but after you can understand everything and get to know people, then you understand them and it is good.

Would you like to work in America more?

There are more possibilities there for action movies and crazy movies, because it's easy for them, but I like also to make small movies. I like small stories. In Hollywood there also many interesting stories and scripts and even Italy and Australia have very good scripts. Why not work in Australia?

Are you being offered many roles?

Yeah, I have some offers. I have to decide what I want to do. Fortunately they are very different roles, not only housekeepers and Mexican women. I can't tell you what the offers are, because it's bad luck. I'm very open to proposals.

Spanglish is released in UK cinemas nationwide on Friday 25th February 2005.