Actor Matt Damon and actress Alicia Vikander attend the Jason Bourne premiere. Picture: Getty Images

It makes a certain kind of sense, then, for the 27-year-old actress to now translate that extraordinary momentum onto the screen — in fast-moving action blockbusters such as Jason Bourne and an upcoming Lara Croft reboot.

Vikander explains her intense work ethic, in part, as being driven by an inability to believe in her own good fortune.

“I spoke to (Bourne co-star) Matt (Damon) about it. He said: ‘I just worked for 10 years’.”

Vikander’s mother is also an actress. And she has seen, first-hand, the difficulty of gaining regular work in an industry with such a high unemployment rate.

“I remember that feeling, being on a job, of knowing I could relax because I (had another one) to go to. It was a luxury beyond anything I would have dreamed of,” the Swedish actress says.

Gratitude, however, isn’t the only factor behind Vikander’s punishing, back-to-back work schedule.

Alicia Vikander and Matt Damon in a scene from the film Jason Bourne.Source:Supplied

Many of the offers, she says, were simply too good to refuse — such as The Danish Girl, for which Vikander won an Academy Award for best supporting actress, the role of activist Vera Brittain in Testament Of Youth, and of course, the cult sci-fi hit Ex Machina, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

Deserving of special mention is upcoming romantic drama The Light Between Oceans, where Vikander met current partner Michael Fassbender. Directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines), the film was shot on location on a remote beach in New Zealand’s South Island and in Tasmania.

Jason Bourne, the fourth film in Damon’s groundbreaking action franchise, was also something of a no-brainer.

Director Paul Greengrass turned to Vikander because he needed an actress who was “strong enough, intelligent enough, who really had the chops to pull off a new character.”

Alicia Vikander in a scene from the film Jason Bourne.Source:Supplied

“She sat down (for lunch) and straight away she said: ‘you know I absolutely love Bourne movies. I would love to do this’,” Greengrass says.

According to Greengrass, there is usually a good deal more to-ing and fro-ing between actors and filmmakers before an agreement is reached.

“It was a great feeling. Creatively empowering.”

But although Vikander’s character, Heather Lee, is constantly on the move in the latest Bourne film, the former hacker’s skills are more cerebral than physical (the latter being Bourne’s department.)

“She is a very powerful woman but she rules from the shadows. And she pretty much has other people doing the running for her,” says the actress.

Lara Croft, on the other hand, will be a much more physically-oriented character.

Actress Alicia Vikander, winner of the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for 'The Danish Girl,' during the 88th Annual Academy Awards. Picture: Steve Granitz/WireImageSource:Getty Images

The kick-arse action role, inspired by a video game reboot, will use Vikander’s former training as a dancer.

“I spent 9 years in ballet school. That was my training ... expressing myself through movement. There’s a lot you can explore with that.”

Vikander says she has given a lot of thought to the way in which she will portray Croft, a role originated on screen by Angelina Jolie.

“I can’t give too much away but I have been on the phone with the director quite a lot.”

In between times, she is to star opposite Eva Green and Charlotte Rampling in Euphoria, a film that Vikander also produced. Production begins next month.

So although the actress suggests that she intends to take a break from work in the near future, her career trajectory shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Jason Bourne is now screening. (Opens July 28)