“I always wanted to be Ginger from ‘Gilligan’s Island’!” says Fairuza Balk with a laugh. “I thought she was the sexiest women alive.”

Though Tina Louise may have been her inspiration, don’t expect to see Balk prancing around in sequined gowns, pumps, and a sky-blue eye shadow. This 100-pound, 5-foot-3-inch actress, who won acclaim in Valmont and then as the younger sister in Gas, Food, Lodging, is strictly hardcore.

Balk is most comfortable in black leather boots, Nine Inch Nails T-shirts, and studded dog collars for starters. “I like black eyeliner and film-noir lipstick, and sometimes I put gel in my hair,” she says. “I really love punk rock.” Undoubtedly so, but no amount of street ‘tude can cover up her big blue eyes and winning personality.

Even bad-boy Harvey Keitel, who plays her shifty dad in this month’s ‘Imaginary Crimes‘, couldn’t resist her charms. “Harvey became a father figure to me during shooting, “says the 20-year-old, who was raised by her mom in Vancouver. “I remember as I was growing up, everyone kept telling me that when I turned sixteen, I would blossom and be gorgeous,” she muses. “And then 16 rolled around, and I was like: ‘Hey, what’s the deal here? You said I would blossom? Well, blossom this!'”