Hayley Atwell has pen pal since she was eight

Actress Hayley Atwell has had the same pen friend since she was eight years old.

"The last thing I do before bed is write letters. I have a pen pal in Kansas who I've been writing to since I was eight. I also write in my journal before going to sleep," Atwell told Grazia magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The 33-year-old star never goes anywhere without a good book and finds the time to read every day.

She said: "I always carry books around and spend an hour or two reading in the afternoons. My two favourites are 'To Kill A Mockingbird' and 'The History of Love'."

While Atwell favours traditional methods of communication, she also embraces technology and ensures she catches up on social media every morning.

She said: "I don't like to miss out on anything so I get up very early and check my Twitter account. I'm very engaged with Twitter. I try to make my followers laugh."