The Bafta-winning actress says her turns in Broadchurch, The Accused and Twenty Twelve left her struggling for roles because producers assumed she would be too busy.

Olivia ColmanOlivia Colman [L] says her starring role in Broadchurch left her struggling to get work

"After those first two Baftas, I didn't really get offered anything, which makes you think: Oh, no!" she told the Radio Times. "And, after I finished the second series of Broadchurch, nothing came up for six months, which really is a long time and I got a bit panicky."

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ITV's seminal crime drama Broadchurch catapulted Colman to a global audience, though the actress who rose to fame on Peep Show was entirely comfortable with her new profile.

"The level of interest was actually quite intimidating," she said. "On the second one, there were so many long lenses around that we had to film scenes that gave anything away indoors. Maybe I'm just naive but I don't see why people want to ruin it for viewers."

Broadchurch is to return for a third series though shooting has been temporarily delayed to allow Colman to give birth to her third child.

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Colman won best supporting actress for the Accused and best female comedy performer for Twenty Twelve at the 2013 Baftas, and went on to win best leading actress for Broadchurch in 2014. 

Next for the actress is London Road, a documentary-style musical about the 2006 murders in Ipswich. The show that originally appeared as a play at the National Theatre co-stars Tom Hardy and hits cinema screens next week.