The first person you might be reminded of when meeting doe-eyed, bubbly Brittany Snow could be a sweet high school cheerleader--a Las Vegas prostitute is probably the very last person that would come to mind. Nonetheless, Snow has again demonstrated that her acting abilities extend far beyond the quintessential cute, young blonde in Finding Amanda.

Snow may be recognized from her lead role as Meg Pryor in “American Dreams” or as Amber Von Tussle in 2007’s Hairspray. However, she is no stranger to playing intense, dramatic characters. Snow had a recurring role on “Nip/Tuck” as a neo-Nazi teenager, and in the recent film Prom Night played a troubled young girl damaged by witnessing the brutal killing of her mother.

In Finding Amanda, Snow takes on a challenging role, particularly considering the film constantly switches gears between comedy and drama. That’s not always an easy feat, and Snow realized that, but she didn’t see it as difficult of a test as it may seem.

“It [Finding Amanda] had a very realistic, borderline thing about going in and out of comedy and dramatic things that I think is realistic in that life is kind of like that,” Snow said. “You have bad days and then something really funny happens.”

Particular life experiences for the character of Amanda, however, were not as easily obtained. In order to draw on more personal stories, Snow talked to girls in strip clubs, which she referred to as “the most expensive conversations I’ve ever had!” By hearing personal accounts from the strippers and even a prostitute, Snow received some valuable insight on what it would be like for her character Amanda.

“When they talked to me about their family and girly things that I related to them on, they had a totally different persona than when they talked about their job,” she stated. “By the end, it was so amazing because it was so eye-opening that these girls were so articulate and so smart.”

Amanda possesses that element of saturnine when she attempts to create a Stepford Wife-like life, complete with the perfectly decorated house and perfectly cooked meals, all afforded through her career as a prostitute. Amanda constantly struggles with her identity, which is a reason why Snow was so drawn to her.

“Every time I see the movie I am annoyed by myself,” Snow said. “Not my acting necessarily, but because I made a conscientious choice to make Amanda like that. She is kind of borderline annoying, which is what I wanted in a certain way because I wanted her to be overly happy and overly excited about everything that it kind of makes you uncomfortable because you know it’s a facade.”

Her research seemed to pay off.

The majority of the film’s character interactions occur between Amanda and her uncle, Taylor (Matthew Broderick). Considering Broderick is a well-respected actor in Hollywood and Broadway, one would assume so much one-on-one time would be intimidating. Although she admits it was a little bit at first, Snow established a great chemistry with Broderick during the shoot.

“He has this amazing ability to make something hysterically funny without doing anything at all,” she said of her costar. “It was constantly entertaining working with him.”

Still, the 22-year-old girl in Snow did occasionally peak her head with moments of “Oh, Ferris Bueller!” or, relatable to many girls her age, the excitement when Broderick would be on the phone with his wife, “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker.

With such endearing qualities and physical beauty, it’s a wonder why the tabloids don’t harp on Snow, considering she actually has the goods to back up her success.

“It’s interesting to me that I don’t really get paparazzi at all, and if I do, it’s because I am with a friend that is more famous,” Snow said. “I find the whole thing very strange. I never really wanted it [paparazzi], and never get recognized, and I kind of like it that way.”

It’s no Hollywood secret that talent isn’t what makes the newsstand cover pages, so Snow is quite intuitive to appreciate her relationship with the stalking cameras. But that is not to say Snow doesn't want to have a good time.

“I definitely do go out and party,” she said. “I am 22 years old, but I don’t go out every night or to ‘the clubs.’ I think it’s all about balance. If I am working the next day, I don’t want to go out. I know that I am really, really grateful and lucky to be doing this, and I don’t want to take that for granted.”

Not surprisingly, Snow doesn’t have any sympathy for the typical paparazzi favorites.

“I think people that get it kind of ask for it,” she stated honestly.

Sounds like the words of a truly professional actor, wise beyond the years of her peers. Perhaps it is due to her role models, multi-Academy Award-nominated actresses such as Joan Allen, Laura Linney, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and, of course, her recent Hairspray costar, Michelle Pfeiffer. Snow truly respects the art of acting, and not just for the fame and exposure. An attitude like that can only mean promising prospects for the rising star.

“I am extremely picky, almost to a fault, when I get scripts that I could do or audition for,” Snow said, “just because I learn so much about myself when I do a role, and I don’t want to do it any other way. I want to do it 110%, so I want it to be challenging. I want to show up to work everyday and be just a little scared of what I am doing.”

Clearly, Snow doesn’t lack determination, and even embraces the idea of harder roles.

“I would like to play an actual person ’cause I think that’s really difficult to do, and it would probably be really challenging to embody someone that has actually lived a story,” Snow replied when discussing future dream roles. “You can’t create them; you have to become them. It would be really scary.”

Arguably most actresses at 22 are not so concerned with accepting challenging roles ranging from a neo-Nazi to a peppy singer in a theatrical musical, so Snow has immediately destroyed any barrier of being typecast.

“I think it boils down to the reason that I want to be an actress,“ Snow stated. “Genuinely, the reason that I do this, and why I’ve always done it, is not to get my name out there. It’s really to just work and get that high everyday of coming off a set and being like, ‘Wow. That’s the greatest job in the entire world, and I can’t believe I did that today.”

Snow can be seen next in the dramas The Vicious Kind and Black Water Transit.

Finding Amanda is now playing in limited release.