Ex-Iowan Michelle Monaghan takes wheel in ‘Trucker’

Michelle Monaghan is going all Charlize Theron on us.

In her latest movie, “Trucker,” the actress scraps the stylist to embody Dianne Ford, a hardened, hard-drinking tomboy who drives a big rig cross-country.

It’s a stretch from the roles the actress, born in Winthrop, Iowa, usually plays — “Made of Honor,” “Heartbreak Kid” and their rom-com ilk.

Maybe co-starring in 2005’s “North Country” with the Oscar-winning Theron (“Monster”) rubbed off on her. In a phone call from her New York home, the former model said playing the tough talker who reconnects with her estranged 12-year-old son was her favorite role so far. If only more scripts like this would come her way.

The hardest part? Getting behind the massive wheel.

“As any trucker will tell you, all of them shift differently and have their own rhythm,” said Monaghan, who now has her commercial driver’s license. “I learned off different trucks, so when I got into the one I was actually shooting in, my heart was beating a mile a minute. Not that I’d let them see me sweat!”

Monaghan, 33, also went on short hauls with female drivers.

“Trucking is the character’s livelihood, and it defines her,” she said. “I knew I had to immerse myself in that culture, find out who they are, what they experience ... and appreciate the sacrifices they make.”

“Trucker,” opening in limited release, is a small indie — shot in 19 days in 2007 for $1.5 million. But Monaghan, who is now filming “The Hangover” director Todd Phillips’ latest, “Due Date,” has high hopes.

“This is a real role about an unsentimental woman who never, ever lies. She has qualities you don’t see very much. It’s a throwback to movies like ‘Five Easy Pieces’ ... The lack of bells and whistles is refreshing.”

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