British actress Carey Mulligan prepared for a harrowing nude scene in new movie Shame by partying with pals and boozing it up for a week.
The An Education star accepts there are better ways to prepare for such a revealing role - but she had a great time.
She tells Usa Today, "I ended up going away the week before with friends. We drank a lot of beer, which is about the worst thing you can do a week before doing a nude scene. It was not my finest hour."
But she had very few regrets about stripping off for the shower scene with fellow Brit Michael Fassbender.
The actress, who was honoured for her role as a troubled soul in the film at the Hollywood Film Awards on Monday (24Oct11), says, "Over the last two years I have been photographed a lot, and I've seen pictures and read things that are awful. I don't care anymore. (But) I have a natural fear about being judged by my figure."
The nude scene features her character, Cissy, standing naked in the shower showing off the self-harm she inflicts on her body - and Mulligan admits she researched the role and found that many 'cutters' like to expose their mutilation.
She explains, "A girl in an online forum was asked why she showed her arms. Why not stop doing it? And she answered, 'If I stopped then people would think I'm OK.' Cissy would expose herself in the most literal way to show she's not OK."
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