Marisa Abela finds it difficult to separate emotions from her acting work

Marisa told The Sunday Times newspaper: "You're putting yourself on the line, so every time you don't get a job or a film doesn't work out the way you think it will, you're wrestling with your own sense of, do I deserve to be here?

"Emotions have never been something I've been afraid of, which makes it difficult to separate from work. Which means that when it goes well it's the best feeling ever, but when it doesn't it's difficult."

Marisa explained that the mixed reviews for the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black - in which she portrayed the late singer - were hard to stomach.

She said: "That was definitely difficult to navigate.

"I poured my heart and soul into it and took everything incredibly personally. What I've learned is to take both the positive and negative with a pinch of salt, rather than believing people when they say you're amazing and believing people when they say you're terrible. Neither of those are particularly helpful."

Marisa plays the ambitious investment banker Yasmin Kara-Hanani in the acclaimed TV series Industry but admits that she wouldn't go near the male-dominated trading floor in the real world after speaking to women who worked in finance in her research for the part.

She said: "It was very much about being a woman on the trading floor and I think that rang true for a lot of women watching, because that's the most competitive and most macho environment you could possibly be in.

"It wouldn't be a place I'd like to spend my time."

However, Marisa feels that Hollywood is a different environment - despite a "machismo" that still "runs riot" in the film industry.

The Black Bag actress said: "A******** are few and far between in my industry.

"In my experience anyway. I'm sure that's not true for plenty of people. There's definitely a machismo that runs riot in Hollywood. It's about the bottom line for the people in suits at the top and I still think they think male storylines will make money and big male actors will get bums on seats.

"So that does exist, but I don't think the energy on set feels like a boys' club in the way it might have used to, for me personally."