STUNNING Polly Furnival has made the transition from East Lancashire to Hollywood with ease.

The 26-year-old model recently made the move Stateside after landing a role playing a character called Margaret in Rush, a new film set in the 1970s based around the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, directed by former Happy Days actor Ron Howard.

Her whirlwind modelling career, which has seen her work with brands including Virgin, Dior, Lynx, Lancôme and Häagen-Dazs, began as a 15-year-old when she was spotted by a scout from Manchester agency Industry People.

Despite living a mere 10 minute drive from the beach in Los Angeles, the former Gisburn Road Primary School and St John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School pupil does occasionaly miss home in Barnoldswick.

She said: “I took for granted the amount of freedom a child has growing up in the countryside. We had lots of friends on our street and would all play out until it was dark or the girls would get together and put on 'shows' for our parents.

“I miss the picturesque views from my mum’s house, you couldn't see another house from the back garden, just beautiful rolling hills for miles. You don't get that in the city.

“I worked in Jim’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Colne for many years and loved my time there.”

Polly wanted to be a dancer when she was growing up but could not get a scholarship as her left hip was slightly higher than her right so she studied theatre and performing arts at Nelson and Colne College and Accrington and Rossendale College.

She has worked with stars including Elle Macpherson, Kelly Brook and Andrew Lloyd Webber and has no plans to slow her career down.

She said: “I have been having acting classes here in LA and been busy auditioning for various things.

“I would like to say at the end of my career that I had achieved everything I set out to do. I don't want to wish I had done something differently. At the moment I'm right on track.”

And despite her job taking her around the globe to places such as Athens, Paris and London, where she met her husband Dan, she still loves coming home to Barnoldswick.

She said: “We try to get back a few days each year, it’s so great to reminisce about our childhood antics and to see all my old friends from school. We are still very close and it always feels like I have never left ."