Sophie Okonedo says she felt like a fraud playing Winnie Mandela

London: Sophie Okonedo has revealed that she was worried she would look a `complete fraud` while depicting her role as Winnie Mandela in major BBC biopic Mrs Mandela. The British actress said she felt `vulnerable` when she was due to make a notable speech in front of hundreds of South African extras.

"I was so nervous, one of my first scenes was when I had to go into a big hall and do one of her most famous speeches,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying. "I just thought `what the hell? I`m about to go in there and be one of South Africa`s most iconic women`. I just felt like a complete fraud. "I remember crying in the toilet before it started. I thought `I`m not going to be able to - this is just a bridge too far; I`m not going to be able to become this lady now`," she added. Okonedo continued: "I was terrified of going out in front of hundreds of extras who really knew what she was like and I just felt really vulnerable. But once I got out on the stage, the noise from the extras - the cheering and screaming - it was amazing and I thought `bring it on`. I really enjoyed it." The movie follows the wife of South African president Nelson Mandela from the 1950s to 1990 when her husband is released from prison after 27 years and is due to be screened on January 25. ANI