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A little way back we grabbed a quick ten-minute chat with Alison Carroll, the actress/gymnast/model who recently became the new Lara Croft. Read on for her thoughts on life as the First Lady of video game icons.

VideoGamer.com: So how long have you been Lara Croft now?

Alison Carroll: I was launched on August 11, so it's been a bit of a manic couple of months, really! My life has just completely changed - my diary is unbelievable! I've been to some amazing places... I've been kind of going around Europe at the moment. I was in Poland at the weekend, and I was in Paris, Germany, Russia. And I'm going to Australia in a couple of weeks!

VideoGamer.com: So, are you enjoying it all?

AC: I'm just living the dream! This is my ideal role, to be playing an action heroine - and I'm getting to do gymnastics at the same time. So I'm laughing, it's brilliant!

VideoGamer.com: Did you know the games well before you got the part?

AC: Yeah, I played Tomb Raider Anniversary, although I have to admit I'm not very good at it. I'm more an outdoors-y kind of person, but my brothers were Tomb Raider addicts. So I used to always sit there with them playing it and me looking over their shoulder and wanting to play.

VideoGamer.com: So if anyone had told you back then that you were going to play Lara Croft...

AC: .... I'd have never believed it. I mean, I was up against so many girls, so what are the chances? But here I am today, and I'm loving the experience.

VideoGamer.com: So how does it feel, then? There have been quite a few other Lara Crofts, including Angelina Jolie, no less...

AC: Yeah! There have been some really good models, and Angelina in the films, and they've all brought something new to the role - so it's quite a challenge for me to think, "Well, I want to bring something new to it too". But I feel that I'm doing that with my gymnastics, and the rock-climbing and scuba diving. And I horse ride too, although she doesn't do that in the games. She did it in the films, but not in the game. But yeah, I really feel like I'm bringing Lara to life in another way!

VideoGamer.com: Apart from the Tomb Raider series, are you into games at all?

AC: Well like I said before, I'm much better at doing the real actions! [laughs] But I just got a Nintendo DS, which is perfect for when I'm going away, when I'm on the plane and everything. I'm really getting into Wacky Races! [more laughs]

VideoGamer.com: Oh yeah? Anything else?

AC: Oh bits and pieces. You'll laugh, but I've been playing a pony game!

VideoGamer.com: Which one? There's one pony game on our site that gets hundreds of hits on our forum - it's pretty much the most popular thread we have! Is it called Pippa Funnell, or something like that...?

AC: [quietly] It's called Pony Friends. [laughs]

VideoGamer.com: That's quite some endorsement!

AC: I used to have a horse when I was younger... It's probably better for younger people really!

VideoGamer.com: I know you're probably a bit preoccupied with being Lara, but how do you see this fitting into your career? Or is that not something you're thinking about yet?

AC: Well, to be honest I'm not really a model - this is the first modelling gig I've ever done. I'm an actress really, so I'm hoping that one day I might able to do some films and television. But you really need to see where it takes you. This is an amazing opportunity, so I'm just living it, really.

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