Matthew Goode: a serried of romantic comedies had people pegging him as the next Hugh Grant, then came the brilliant turn as a spoiled Brit in Woody Allen's match point, solidifying his sex-symbol status. As he pumps up in preparation to play a nasty ex-con, Miss Scarlett grills him about life, love—and spotted Dick

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I'm an old pro at interviews, darling, so I'm letting you know right now that everything you say can be used against you from now on.

MATTHEW GOODE: [laughs] Okay. I'll keep all the butt jokes out. How are you, honey?

SJ: I'm great. I'm filming a movie called The Prestige. I've been working with Michael Caine. Actually, you remind me a little bit of him.

MG: Really?

SJ: You've got the same charming crinkle! Anyway, what is your next project?

MG: A movie that's about to shoot in Winnipeg, Manitoba, called The Lookout, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who seems like a really sweet guy. It's a great script. I am playing American. My character is an ex-con, really nasty, yet quite charming in his own way. The director describes him as the kind of guy who would fuck your girlfriend in front of you with a smile on his face.

SJ: Delightful. Sounds like my kind of buddy.

MG: They want me to bulk up a little bit for the role, so I'm doing that here in New York, where I get to stay with the lady.

SJ: You're seeing the same sweet girl that I met?

MG: Yes.

SJ: Is there anything you'd like to say?

MG: Uh ...

SJ: That's she's wonderful and you're dating her?

MG: She's wonderful, I'm dating her, and I couldn't be happier. Her name is Sophie.

SJ: Anything else you want to say?

MG: I won't give the address.

SJ: Or the Social Security number. I made that mistake before.

MG: How's your man, by the way?

SJ: Moving right along, heh-heh. Did you find that after the success of Match Point--where you played a wealthy Brit who dated my American character for a while--that your anonymity was gone? Has life changed at all?

MG: No, not really. Some people have come up and said sweet things. I don't go to very scene-y places. And in winter, when the movie came out, I had a hat and scarf on.

SJ: In warm weather, the anonymity gets kind of difficult.

MG: People get horny in warm weather, and they're looking around.

SJ: It's spring fever! You did Imagine Me and You right after Match Point, didn't you? I saw the trailer for it, and I couldn't tell whether it was a comedy or a drama.

MG: It's kind of both. It's a love story. The last time I saw it, it was a rough cut. I hate watching those.

SJ: I find rough cuts very depressing. Imagine was by a first-time director, OI Parker. How do you feel about that?

MG: The difference between working with him and Woody Allen on Match Point is that [Parker] was much stricter with his dialogue. I'm working with a lot of writer-directors at the moment, and I always find that a little bit uncomfortable. I suppose it just depends what you need as an actor. It's not like Woody ever spoke to us that much. You got on with him a huge amount.

SJ: Yeah.

MG: It depends how confident I am in things. Sometimes I really need someone to tell me that everything is going to be okay, and sometimes I just want to get off the set and go home.

SJ: Do you see yourself committing to--

MG: The lady I'm with now?

SJ: Would you like a family? Where are you in your life?

MG: My girlfriend and I were talking about this last night and giggling about it. We've both had a history. I don't necessarily know if you could say marriage yet, but I don't like being away from her.

SJ: So you feel good in a committed relationship right now?

MG: I really do. I've done the hanging around and what goes with being a single man. I've had only a couple of proper relationships. I think this is the one. But yeah, I want kids. I want to have a couple of dumb dogs and live in the country.

SJ: Would you like to live in England or New York?

MG: I've been thinking, Why don't I just go and move to New York? I'm out in America so much these days, it would be a really good thing to do.

SJ: I think you should, because it is the greatest city in the whole world.

MG: I never thought anything would be any better than London, but I have to say I am a huge fan of New York. I love it.

SJ: I love it, too. But I'm a bit biased; I was born and raised there. How about you? Did you study theater when you were younger?

MG: I did a bit of it at school, then I studied drama and theater at university in Birmingham. And then I went to drama school for a year.

SJ: Did you perform when you were a child?

MG: Yeah. My mom did a lot of amateur dramatics and stuff.

SJ: Did you sing? Can you sing?

MG: [laughs] I don't think there's going to be a rock band going on at any point soon. But yeah, I can hold a tune, honey. How about you?

SJ: Hey!

MG: I can imagine you doing jazz at some sort of smoky bar. With a sultry dress on, draped over a pianist.

SJ: Oh my gosh, you've really thought about this, haven't you?

MG: A little. You were a child performer too, yes?

SJ: I've been in this business, like, 85 years.

MG: For someone so young, you've been here a long time. I say this in a patronizing way ...

SJ: It's true. It has been a long time. It's kind of all I know how to do, really. I don't have any other hobbies. It's a good thing it's working out for now. The work can be quite fleeting, but I'm hoping that it sticks around, because I really do like my job.