Emma Stone got a real slap in 'The Favourite'.

Emma Stone

Emma Stone

The 30-year-old actress admitted she and co-star Rachel Weisz had to actually slap each other while filming the black comedy, which is set in the early 18th century and follows two love rivals in the bid to win the heart of Queen Anne, played by Olivia Colman.

The 'La La Land' star revealed that there "has to be a discussion" when hitting someone although she wasn't too nervous as due to previous stage experience she already knew "where to connect and how much to move with it".

In an interview with OK magazine, she said: "It's a real slap. If someone goes too hard then they're just being horrible. There has to be a discussion you can't just slap someone.

"I worked on stage before where in every performance I had to be slapped and you learn to get slapped, where to connect and how much to move with it, so it didn't freak me out too much."

The 'Aloha' star also praised her two co-stars and added that Olivia, 44, was the most "warm and, gooey, lovely person you know" and Rachel, 48, as "awesome and hyper-intelligent".

She added that working with director Yorgos Lanthimos and his unusual methods left her feeling "really comfortable" around the entire cast.

She explained: "We jumped around, acted like human noodles and walked backwards trying to sense where the people where and not crack our heads open.

"We also read other people's characters and clapped. I've never felt that way after three weeks...so much trust. I felt really comfortable around everyone."