Actress Amber Heard has mastered the art of hot-wiring a car after once having to draw on her tomboy upbringing and knowledge of engines to rescue her stolen vehicle.

The Rum Diary star learned all about cars from her father to prevent her from ever getting stranded on the side of the road, but she ended up putting her knowledge to use in another way.

She explains, "My car has been stolen a few times. The last time it was stolen, actually the time before that, I had to go to the junkyard where it was dumped, basically. The police found it, drove (it) to the junkyard and told me, 'You can go get it if you want.'

"So I went to the junkyard, couldn't have it towed because I used every dime I had to get out there. I had to hot wire the car out of the junkyard. I drive a '68 (Mustang), that's something you learn."