Sophie Monk has been a beloved staple on Australian television screens for as long as we can remember, but it’s not just Aussies who can’t get enough of her.
The hilarious self-confessed ‘bogan’ has also forged a successful acting career in Hollywood after becoming a household name Down Under.
The Love Island Australia host was just 19 when she was propelled to stardom after appearing on the hit 1999 reality talent show Popstars and soon afterwards became a member of girl group Bardot.
Sophie recently opened up about her time in Tinseltown and got refreshingly candid on which A-listers were the easiest to work with.
Sophie landed her international big break starring alongside Adam Sandler on the 2006 film Click.
And 15 years on, the TV personality couldn’t speak higher of the funny man.
“I’d say Adam Sandler’s the most amazing person I’ve met in the industry. He was amazing to work with,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
She also heaped praise on American Pie star Jennifer Coolidge, whom she worked with on the the 2005 spoof comedy Date Night.
“[She] was so nice as well, so complimentary. We did a table read where we all sat around and she was like, ‘Who are you? You’re very funny!’ and she was so kind to me. Lovely lady,” Sophie said.
And while she left Hollywood with several successful acting gigs under her belt, Sophie admitted her US stint feels like a lifetime ago.
“It’s like everything, you kind of just move on and do something else,” she said.
“And my career has gone up and down and up and down like, all the time. I just love entertaining in general. I prefer what I’m doing now, being able to be me.”
In August, Sophie said in an interview with The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show that moving to Los Angeles was a “soul-destroying” experience.
“I can only talk from my experience. Your friends are your agent. You kind of feel like, ‘Are your friends your real friends?'” she told Jess.
“Everyone wants to become famous, and that’s when it becomes lonely. I had someone I trust take a lot of money from me. I had a lot of hits there emotionally.”
Sophie said her name constantly appearing in the tabloids and her string of high-profile relationships, including Jason Statham and Benji Madden, hampered a Hollywood big-break.
“It hindered a lot of roles, because then you become a socialite so they don’t take you seriously. Now, you can come off a reality TV show and become an actress,” she said.
“The paparazzi would always be chasing you. In LA everyone gets chased. They could be waiting for Britney Spears and they would chase you.”