One site said that I had a sex tape...since this is Maxim, I should apologise that there isn’t a sex tape!

Movies are fantasies and Elisha Cuthbert might just be today’s ultimate fantasy girl. In 2001 she cascaded onto our television screens all pouts, teenage anguish and wet T-shirts as the feisty, faux-rebellious daddy’s girl, Kim Bauer; her naivety tantamount to breaching national security as she was time and again lured into the grasp of the world’s deadliest terrorists.

But, despite her character’s infuriating flaws, didn’t we all secretly pine for more of her on-screen presence? As well as being bait for some of the world’s most ruthless revolutionaries, us couch-bound delinquents were just as enamoured by her all-American (and alright, we admit it, perfectly proportioned) charms. Four series later and we still weren’t getting tired.

But if Kim Bauer never really came of age, Elisha Cuthbert certainly did, securing roles in almost every cinematic genre since. Post-Bauer she began her Hollywood ascent in 2003 with small roles alongside comedy juggernaut Will Ferrell in Old School (‘he was really reserved, but as soon as he got in front of a camera, he became a different person‘) and as American goddess Carol in Love Actually (where she beds a British tourist based purely on his accent – good girl!).

As a precocious 20-year-old, she then graduated to her first lead role as ex-porn star Danielle in The Girl Next Door, a role she executed with hair-raising aplomb even if her limo scene with Emile Hirsch didn’t produce the fireworks the film suggests. ‘Because of our positioning, they shot Emile and I separately so we were never actually together,‘ Elisha admits. We feel for you Emile, we really do.

On a lowbrow yet highly entertaining note, she has also been turned into a human candle in the 2005 remake of House Of Wax (co-starring real-life party pal, Paris Hilton) and mercilessly abused in the controversial 2007 torture-porn flick, Captivity.

But despite high-profile films, sojourns with fanciful friends and an inclination for high-profile relationships (she recently dated New York Ranger, Sean Avery, which was big news in the American press), Elisha somehow manages to keep herself out of the tabloids and in Hollywood’s coolest projects, including the upcoming My Sassy Girl and The Six Wives Of Henry Lefay, both due to debut on these shores later this year.

With smouldering eyes, luscious pouting lips and wonderfully accentuated curves, it’s not hard to understand why Hollywood has become so besotted with her charms – and why she adorns the front cover of this month’s Maxim.

We caught up with Elisha to discuss her bold new projects, find out what gets on her wick and understand what she requires from a modern man. Oh, and there was just the small matter of whether 24: The Movie or the heavily rumoured Elisha Cuthbert sex tape will ever emerge.

Whatever happens, it seems that silly little daddy’s girl Kim Bauer is not only staking her claim as Tinseltown’s hottest new actress, she’s having lots of fun doing it, too.

The entire Maxim staff agreed Old School should be on our ‘Movies You Must See Before You Die’ list. Did you know all along it would become a classic?

I had no idea except for the fact that I was working with a phenomenal cast. Comedies are real fun, but I get so nervous that I don’t sleep.

Did Will Ferrell act crazy on set?

He was really reserved, but as soon as he got in front of a camera, he became a different person. I actually stole a few things from Frank the Tank [Ferrell’s character] for my new movie, My Sassy Girl. My character is pretty much drunk the entire time.

Is that tough to pull off?

Playing drunk on-camera is difficult, but it’s also liberating. I remember wondering, how can I do this without wanting to be drunk for real?

Tell us why Maxim readers should see this movie.

It’s a remake of one of the highest-grossing Korean films ever. It’s about a nice guy who falls in love with someone who’s a little bit crazy.

In the Korean version, there are some pretty wild scenes, ranging from downright sexy to borderline gross. Do they appear here, too?

We don’t have the vomiting scene, but I did slap my poor co-star Jesse Bradford in the face a few times. My character speaks her mind, which was fun to play because I’m usually gentler with my words. It’s my Canadian nature. We’re generally polite and don’t like confrontation.

Is that what helps you keep a low profile?

I live my life, but I always stay conscious of the fact that the press is going to do what they’re going to do. Things do get said about me, but if I worried about what people made up or speculated, I’d go insane. Especially with the internet and blogging.

Have any blogs really made you angry?

One site said that I had a sex tape. That one crossed the line. Other than that, it takes a lot to rattle me. But since this is Maxim, I should apologise that there isn’t a sex tape!

Thanks, we appreciate it. I’ve talked to older actors like Kiefer Sutherland [her father Jack in 24] who say this celebrity-obsessed insanity comes and goes. In the 80s, there was the Bratpack with Kiefer and his buddies, but then it died. Has Kiefer told you any wild stories?

None that I could say, because he’d kill me!

Will 24 ever make it to the big screen? We’ve been hearing rumours for years.

I haven’t heard anything. I think they’re more focused on the season at hand. I’d love for my character to come back, though.

What can you tell us about one of your more recent projects, The Six Wives Of Henry Lefay?

Tim Allen plays my deceased father, and I have to deal with his ex-wives while planning his funeral. It was hard to stay focused around him. When he gets on a roll, the comedy pours out.

Is there any role from a classic film that you’d like to tackle?

There would be something really interesting about doing an all-female version of Glengarry Glen Ross. I think that would be a cool concept.

Which character would you play?

Al Pacino’s. I’m drawn to lunatics.

Have you had any awkward experiences as a moviegoer?

I watched Superbad with my mum, dad and kid brother. I was laughing hysterically when he was drawing all the male genitalia pictures. My parents were like, ‘You’re in front of your 16-year-old brother!’ By the way, my pet peeve is when a guy falls asleep half way through a movie. If that happens, there’s no second date.

Any other instant turn-offs?

I’ve had guys try to pick me up in my car. No thanks. I should invest in tinted windows.

OK, so what type of guys do you go for?