Ruth Negga thinks she's "lacking a personality"

She said: "I try and hide the fact that I'm lacking a personality by wearing dragon-print. I suppose fashion is an armour really, isn't it, for nerves. I think there's a lot of shy people involved in fashion, although people seem flamboyant, I think it hides a shyness."

But though she's shy, the 36-year-old star also admitted she's an "attention-seeker" so her career has allowed her to be in the spotlight in a "safe" way.

Asked why she became an actress if she's so shy, she told 'The Late Show' host Stephen Colbert: "I suppose I'm a shy attention-seeker. I'm a wallflower in real life, but there's a safe space.

"Acting creates a very safe space where you can draw attention to yourself, but there's always 'action' and 'cut', so it's like a safety net of sorts, where you can be an attention seeker in a safe way. Basically, cowardly."

Meanwhile, the 'Loving' actress - who recently split from her 'Preacher' co-star Dominic Cooper - recently admitted she hasn't been "inundated" with work offers because she's "quite tricky" to cast, but that just drives her to create her own ventures.

She said: "I'm quite tricky to put in anything. I don't think people really ever know what to do with me. It doesn't bother me at all. It's given me the impetus to create things. I don't need to be an actor. I used to, but not any more. I think at some point I'll resist people telling me what to do."