Do not be fooled. In the accompanying photo spread, you will meet a classically beautiful but angst-ridden Charlotte Sullivan – a “Charlotte Sullivan” who seems caught in the throes of some insoluble existential dilemma. This is not the real her. Not by a long shot.

Instead, it is an exquisitely wrought performance in front of the camera of photographer Franco Deleo; a bold collaborative stroke that breathes flesh-and-blood vitality into his neo-expressionist Sturm und Drang concept. The real Charlotte Sullivan is classically beautiful, yes, but also vivacious, comically riffing and (in her own words) “kid-like.”

More alluring images of Charlotte Sullivan

For instance, shortly after we meet, she laughs uproariously as a dragonfly deflects off my head. We are seated next to the ledge at the rooftop patio of the Park Hyatt. I confess I suffer from vertigo, my only phobia; I can feel myself falling if I’m next to a precipice. Sullivan says that she has it too – the exact same thing. But then why choose a table right next to an open 18-storey drop? She laughs again, shrugs and orders a club-house sandwich. She tells me that she is wearing her boyfriend´s jeans, and possibly even his underwear too. No. I do not believe her. For one thing, the idea seems sacrilegious. She must be kidding me, in her kid-like way, peppering the conversation with jokes and asides as she squints into the blazing sunshine and recounts her whirlwind adventures at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

It’s been a giddy blur: being chased by paparazzi, posing on the red carpet, subsisting on tiny hors d´oeuvres, suffering the vagaries of the guest list, being trailed night and day by a CBC documentary crew....

Sullivan appears as Fay Poppington in the movie Defendor, a “superhero comedy” that stars Woody Harrelson as a delusional man living in Hamilton, Ontario, who believes he has superhuman powers. The project was written and directed by Peter Stebbings, the pants-lending boyfriend mentioned above, and had its world premiere at TIFF ´09. For Sullivan, though, her role is much more than just an acting part, as she’s been with Stebbings through the many highs and lows of getting the movie made. In addition to writing the script and making his directorial debut, the long road for Stebbings has included everything from financing through to the final stages of post-production.

“To say that I’m proud of Peter is a fucking understatement,” she says, eyes flashing. Indeed, Defendor caught the attention of distributors at TIFF, and Sony Pictures Worldwide won the ensuing bidding war with The Weinstein Company, among others, with a seven-figure offer for the rights to distribute the film in the U.S. and elsewhere (with the notable exception of Canadian rights, which are held by Alliance).

But wait, there’s more. Sullivan is currently filming Copper, a 13-part TV series for ABC. And she’s also wrapped Alice, a four-part miniseries that she describes as a re-imagination of Alice in Wonderland set in the 1960s. It features, among others, Kathy Bates, Tim Curry and Harry Dean Stanton.

So things are good? Well, yes and no. Sullivan has been suffering from insomnia, and occasional bouts of anxiety too. Perhaps it’s the chaos of TIFF, or just part and parcel of the life of the artist – or perhaps there is more to the dark, turbulent photo spread after all?

But then Sullivan brightens – after all, dragonflies are a good omen. They remind her of her grandmother, who is probably watching over her right this instant! Yes, everything will be OK. We take the elevator down and step out of the building onto the sidewalk. “Ouch!” she suddenly says, rubbing her forehead. An unseen insect has bitten her on the exact same spot of her head as where the dragonfly first buzzed me. What can it all possibly mean – the maddening synchronicities, the sharp dualities, the conflicting omens and the insatiable bugs? The answer is found in her enigmatic smile.

Charlotte Sullivan recently met with photographer Franco Deleo at his studio in Toronto for an exclusive TORO Woman photo shoot and shared with us some insights into her personality with this Q&A.

Q: What is your present state of mind?
A: Hungry. I´m like a baby bird in its nest waiting for some worms.

Q: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A: Making out with my boyfriend behind the bleachers.

Q: What historical figure do you most identify with?
A: I have a ginormous boner for David Bowie as the Goblin King in Labyrinth.

Q: Which living person do you most admire?
A: My mommy.

Q: What is your greatest extravagance?
A: Skulls and decapitated heads.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?
A: A sweet chubby pixie-like creature named Mango.

Q: Which talent – other than ones you are blessed with – would you most like to have?
A: I can´t cook for beans so it would be nice to impress people with my fake June Cleaver culinary skills.

Q: Other than your present occupation, what occupation would you like to try?
A: A mortician or inventor.

Q: If you were to die and come back as a person and/or thing, what do you think it would be?
A: I´d come back as Andy from The Goonies. She was the prettiest redhead I had ever laid eyes on, but I often feel like Marilyn Monroe circa her pill-popping Joe DiMaggio days. Drag me to hell!

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: That the people I love will die and I will be left alone.

Q: What trait do you deplore most in others?
A: Cruelty.

Q: What trait do you deplore most in yourself?
A: Anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia.

Q: What is your greatest regret?
A: I gave up the violin.

Q: What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
A: Fitness, boring snoring. Zzz.

Q: What is the quality you like most in a man?
A: Brains, yum!

Q: The quality you like most in a woman?
A: Maternal tendencies.

Q: Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
A: "You´re so cute I could barf all over your face" or "that shit is dope."

Q: What is your most defining characteristic?
A: If I love you I will kill for you.

Q: What or who is the greatest love of your life?
A: My precious precocious varmints and critters.

Q: What is your motto?
A: "Boys are the sweet nectar of life." It´s not really a motto, I just love saying it.

William Morassutti is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TORO. Prior to joining TORO, he worked in Canadian broadcasting as a writer, producer, director, reporter and host.