"I was really surprised that I felt that exposed," Jolie said. "There are certain moments where I felt actually shy - and called home just to explain that the fun movie that I had done that was digital animation was, in fact, a little different than we expected."

The movie, which uses digitally animated backgrounds that are blended with traditional live-action film, follows Beowulf, who comes to save King Hrothgar, played by Anthony Hopkins, because his kingdom has fallen prey to a demon named Grendel.

Jolie plays a temptress killer lizard, Grendel's mother, painted gold and fitted with a tail. She described her character as a "sexy lizard" and said it was challenging trying to make a demon alluring.

"I just focused on her being evil," she said. "But, on the day (of filming), it didn't feel very sexy at all. I was in the traditional bubble head and the jump suit. And I felt absolutely goofy, especially trying to feel seductive in my jumpsuit with my dot face."

"Beowulf," directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring British actor Ray Winston, is due to hit cinemas on Nov. 16.