"I feel the most myself and in my own skin at 26," Murphy says of maturing in Hollywood. Photo by: Juan Rico / Fame
Brittany Murphy | Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy's a curious woman, but not as neurotic as the one she plays in Little Black Book, her new movie about tracking down her boyfriend's past loves. The 26-year-old actress – who once dated her Just Married costar Ashton Kutcher and was engaged for four months earlier this year to manager Jeff Kwatinetz – is actually friends with an old flame's ex-girlfriend, and Murphy swears she's not the jealous type. The actress recently chatted about having such a high-profile love life, dealing with the tabloids and experiencing her "I can't believe it!" moment with fame.

Do you ask boyfriends about past relationships?
I happen to ask. I'm curious. Curiosity did kill the cat, but I'm very curious. I always ask tons and tons of questions in the beginning. But I've noticed that men don't like hearing about ex-boyfriends because I don't think they like envisioning women with past relationships.

Have you ever been in a relationship where you've heard a lot about an ex?
I've been in a relationship before where the guy had pictures of the ex-girlfriend up in the house and where she came by. And the ironic part is that we're friends now and the guy isn't part of either one of our lives. That was an unusual situation, but it made me more sensitive to my own relationships.

Should men and women keep certain secrets from each other?
Well, maybe bathroom things – things that take away from the romance.

What's the most outrageous thing you've read about yourself in the tabloids?
(There was) Winona Ryder and the lesbian kiss. That was my introduction to the media, the cover of the National Enquirer. That was the first time I met a paparazzi and I didn't know much about that kind of stuff. We just sort of kissed as a joke. I didn't know what to do because (the photographers) were in front of the car and it was either run them down or just stay there. So I started making funny faces, and all of the sudden I was Winona Ryder's lesbian lover. But I loved it because they called me a sexy screen siren, which is not how I see myself at all. I thought that was hysterical.
This week's cover

On Newsstands Now!

JOSH & FERGIE: ROCKED BY SCANDAL

Did he cheat with a stripper?

Married less than a year, the couple denies an Atlanta woman’s claims that she and Josh had a fling
Note that this week’s cover of PEOPLE may differ regionally

Save $1.00 off this week's issue. Click here for coupon