U OUGHT TO KNOW LYNN COLLINS.

Byline: - Evan Henerson

Age: 25

Profession: Actress

Why U ought to know her: She's the ``I don't recognize that name'' among the star cast of Sony Pictures' ``The Merchant of Venice.'' Collins plays Portia, the heroine who masquerades in drag as a lawyer to foil the scheme of moneylender Shylock (played by Al Pacino) to extract a pound of flesh from Antonio (Jeremy Irons). And she marries and triumphs over handsome young Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes).

Playing with the big boys: Collins has had smaller roles in films like ``13 Going on 30'' and ``50 First Dates.'' Now she's sharing the screen with a pair of Oscar winners for Michael Radford, the director of ``Il Postino.''

In the midst of all of this, Collins knew that Radford had lobbied hard to cast her despite concerns from the producers who wanted a more-famous name.

``I think there was definitely a point in the rehearsal process where I had to say to myself, 'I can't do it for anyone else, I can't do it for anyone's approval,' '' says the Texas born, Juilliard-trained Collins. ``Whatever psychological youthful things I had going on in regards to being a professional were really thrown out the window. I had to do it for myself and for my own approval, not seeking anyone else's opinion of whether my work was good.''

Starting young: What led Collins into performance? ``I was told when I was 14 that I was good at it. So I just thought, 'Oh well, if this is what I'm good at, this is what I'll pursue.' It didn't really become my choice until I was at Juilliard.

``The first two years there, they do a lot of sort of opening up wounds so that you are self-aware, and there were a lot of things I didn't realize about myself. It sort of brings out the worst of you for a while. It was during that process that I thought, 'Right, if I'm going to be going through that process at this early of an age then I really need to believe in what I'm doing.' That's when I got behind it for real in a serious way.''

At home with the Bard: Fresh out of graduate school, Collins played Ophelia opposite Liev Schrieber for the New York Theatre Festival at the Public Theatre. She also played Juliet in Peter Hall's production of ``Romeo and Juliet'' at the Ahmanson Theatre in 2001.

Radford, who had never directed Shakespeare for stage or screen, says that the majority of the myriad of actresses considered for the role ``were scared ... and didn't want to come anywhere near it. (Shakespeare) requires a certain kind of technique, and it finds you out very quickly.''

Obvious choices like Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow were not interested or unavailable. ``And that alternative is a slightly unexciting one because even if they haven't done it already, they appear to have done it before.''

Then the director happened upon an audition tape of a young actress being submitted for the role of Shylock's daughter, Jessica. Radford flipped, asked that Collins put herself on tape as Portia and, ultimately, the lobbying of producers to cast an unknown began.

``Lynn is like a brilliant musical instrument,'' Radford says. ``She's beautifully, classically trained with great talent for this kind of stuff. Whatever happens to her in the future, she's got a great career on the stage.''

Stay selective, sweet Charlotte: Collins will play ``Jane Eyre'' novelist Charlotte Bronte in a film for writer/director Angela Workman. Beyond that, she'll choose carefully. ``The Merchant of Venice'' may prove to be a breakout role, but only if the actress tries to maintain a high standard in her project selection.

``There have been a lot of things that have come up which I've been advised to sort of pass on, which is very difficult because as an actress when you're sort of at the beginning, nobody's offering you anything and you have to fight for small roles. Then all of a sudden people are offering you things and naturally, instinctively, you want to say, 'Yes, take it, let's do it,' but that's not what I was advised to do.''

One such project, Collins says, was an excellent script but would have required a lot of nudity.

``Although that's not something I'm opposed to doing, but I think right now, people were like, 'You probably shouldn't be showing your whosits and whatsits. Keep a level of restraint.' ''

Where U can see her: ``The Merchant of Venice'' opens in limited release Dec. 29.

If U want more information: www.merchantofvenicemovie.com.

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Photo:

no caption (Lynn Collins)

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer