The British actress became well known for her hard-partying ways in the 1990s after shooting to fame in the U.K. on a popular soap opera – making friends with supermodel Kate Moss and stepping out with singer Robbie Williams.
Friel’s longterm relationship with Harry Potter star David Thewlis was thrown into doubt last year (09), amid reports she was having an affair with her co-star in West End show Breakfast at Tiffany’s – which she later denied.
And the 33-year-old beauty is adamant the public’s perception of her as promiscuous is wrong – revealing she’s only had three longterm relationships since she was 16.
She tell InStyle magazine, “I was a late bloomer. I only had two boyfriends. I lost my virginity at 16 and stayed with that guy for a year-and-a-half. I was with (U.K. actor) Darren Day for two-and-a-half years, until I was 20. I was single until I was 24 and met David. When I was single, that was when I dated Robbie Williams.
“I wasn’t the girl at school who had all the boyfriends. All my friends were boys – but they didn’t fancy me. They saw me as a friend and I got used to it.”
