Mandela's wife hardest role in my career: Naomie Harris

Former Bondgirl Naomie Harris says that playing the role of Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela's former wife, was the hardest role of her career.

Naomie Harris. Pic/Santa Banta

The 37-year-old actress struggled to portray Winnie Mandela in 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom', which was released last month, reported Contactmusic.

Naomie Harris Naomie Harris "I was terrified at the mountain I had to climb to play this woman and discover who she is. It's definitely the hardest role I've ever played in my career," Harris said. However, the star insists meeting her alter-ego in person helped her get into the role more.

"It helped me enormously (meeting her). I asked her how she wanted to be portrayed and I fully expected her to say, 'I want to be portrayed as a saint, as Mother Africa.' But she didn't. She said, 'You do your research, and all I ask is that you play me truthfully," she added. "That was really liberating, because suddenly I felt ownership of all that material. I felt free as well," she said.