Melissa George had a very auspicious start in the acting game when she landed a role on the hugely popular Australian soap opera, ''Home and Away''. The television series was a great training ground and gave her a small taste of International success when it was syndicated to such countries as the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Sweden, Israel and several Asian territories. Now semi-transplanted in Hollywood, she has continued her rise the in the business with such roles in ''Derailed'' with Clive Owen, ''The Amityville Horror'' playing opposite Ryan Reynolds and in David Lynch’s ''Mulholland Drive''. She also appeared in the television shows ''Alias'' and ''Friends''. In ''30 Days of Night'' she continues her ascent as a formidable leading lady by fighting off a gang of horrific vampires and trying to survive until daylight breaks.

Q: What do vampires represent to you?

Melissa: Well this is a new breed of vampire in 30 Days of Night. I have never seen this type of vampire before. They kill with no moral. They kill for food which is quite unusual. They don’t want to produce more of them. They are quite an elitist group. Also, the look they have is almost human but not totally and they have these razor like teeth. Their eyes are quite frightening; they show no soul whatsoever. We are all fascinated by vampires. For me the symbol they represent is all about seduction and animal instinct. Also they are about immortality and the idea to stay alive for 500 years.

Q: What was it like on the set during the production of this film?

Melissa: Nothing really spooky happened during the shoot and the atmosphere was very relaxing and fun. But it was an intense shoot because we shot mainly at night and it was quite cold. Especially at the end, for the scene where I’m in an upside down car; this was really tiring.

Q: How would you describe your character and this film?

Melissa: For me it was about being a strong woman. Not necessarily a kick-ass girl but I wanted to have a message about how a woman can stand for what she believes in and that she can fight back like a man. The film also is about the notion of sacrifice. Eben (Josh Harnett) is scarifying himself for his love ones. This is something you don’t find in our selfish society; the notion of giving it all to someone else, giving it up, your own life. This is such a powerful symbol of love. It’s about Romeo and Juliette…

Q: Does anything scare you in real life?

Melissa: Well, I’m afraid of rattle snakes. I found one in my backyard recently and this was a scary experience! But I’m not afraid of vampires. I know they are not coming to knock on my door!

Q: Do you believe in paranormal events?

Melissa: No I don’t. I need to see it to believe it! I’m very pragmatic.

Q: Why do you think audiences love horror films?

Melissa: Horror is a great way to release your anguish; it’s like a cathartic experience to watch a horror movie. It makes you feel alive in a way because you face your demons, you get rid of this inner fear that we all have. For this film it’s more about a graphic novel being brought to the big screen like 300 or Sin City. 30 Days of Night is not your typical horror movie.

Q: How was working with Josh Hartnett?

Melissa: Phenomenal. He is such a great guy and we had four months of constant laughing. He took care of me. It’s much better when you have a good script and also a great leading man. And again, New Zealand was so much fun. I love Auckland where we shot a lot of the movie and this was perfect. The people are so nice and it’s beautiful. I also loved the action in the movie and I never felt bored. It was a very emotional drama to shoot.

Q: Do you like to travel?

Melissa: Yes I do. I spend time between Buenos Aires in Argentina, and New York. I also often fly to Los Angeles for business meetings and visit from time to time my family in Australia. Like my friend Naomi Watts, I’m going to spend lots of time in New York these days.

Q: Are you a fan of the horror genre?

Melissa: I liked Nosferatu of course, but I mainly love films by Kar Wai Wong or Pedro Almodovar. However, I’m a fan of this particular movie, 30 Days of Night, because it’s original and interesting.

Q: What are you doing next?

Melissa: I had a very busy year and so you will see lots of me in the next few months. I’m in Music Within with Ron Livingston and directed by Steven Sawalich. After this I will be in Waz with Selma Blair and Stellan Skarsgard. I’m also going to shoot an action film in Berlin with John Cusack and directed by Jan De Bont called Stopping Power. So I’m fortunate to get that much work these days and I love to work. I love to lose myself totally in my work.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT is on DVD March 12