Naomi Watts in her 'villain era' and was ready to rise to the 'challenge' of her role in The Housewife

Naomi Watts is in her "villain era".

The 57-year-old actress's next role is in 1960s-set thriller The Housewife, which is based on a true story and sees her play Hermine, whose secret Nazi past comes to light when a journalist starts investigating her husband Russell (Luke Wilson), and while she felt a lot of "fear" going into the project, she felt it was important to rise to the "challenge".

She told Deadline: “There was a lot of fear going into it. And I’m always interested in moving through fear.

"This is my villain era, this is the most extreme kind for me to come near and that said, the duality of playing an upstanding citizen, neighbourly, good wife with the juxtaposition of this past she feels is erased but it’s not it’s clearly still living within her…

"She’s unrepentant until the end and that’s horrific playing that as an actor with that mindset. But it was a challenge worth confronting because we must remember stories like this about how hate rises and how it can live very close to us.”

Naomi believes there is nothing more "dangerous" than man.

Explaining her research process, she said: “Man is the most dangerous animal. Most animals will kill for food or territory but when the mind is involved and that sophisticated way and when it’s given permission [to subjugate] it can be really dangerous."

The King Kong actress previously opened up about her career, as she admitted she’s become used to projects “failing” over the years.

She explained to The Guardian newspaper: “The fact is, it’s rare and extremely difficult to make a film or TV show that works on all levels. Mostly they fail. And when you’ve been working in the industry as long as I have, you know it’s all ups and downs.

“You are hot, and then you are not. That is the cycle. We’re mostly like cicadas who spend most years underground and then on occasion get to come out and play.

“There’s no point in getting bitter or twisted about it. You just have to keep going.”

Naomi also stressed the importance of working with talented directors who share similar values.

She said: "Working with people whose values you share makes everything so much easier.

"I believe that film is ultimately a director’s medium, so I’ve always done my best to find directors I trust and to put myself in their capable hands. Of course, it’s a collaborative experience, but the director is the main storyteller. As an actor, you have to give yourself over to their point of view as much as possible.

"You don’t always have that luxury when the A-list directors stop calling – which has been my experience for years at a time. Maybe that’s because I’ve had a few bombs along the way. More than a handful!"