Elle Fanning is "scarred" after watching videos of her mother giving birth to her sister.

Elle Fanning in The Great

Elle Fanning in The Great

The 23-year-old actress' character in 'The Great' has a very public labour in season two of the historical comedy but because the star doesn't have children of her own, she was keen to get her portrayal right so spoke to a midwife and watched footage of women delivering their babies, including one clip that was very close to home.

She said: "I was born during a tornado, so they couldn't video when I was born because the hospital was in lockdown — which is very fitting, I think.

"But I do have a tape of my mother giving birth to my sister [fellow actress Dakota Fanning], and she didn't have any drugs or anything. So it's scarred in my brain of what that's like!"

Although the third season of the show hasn't yet been confirmed, Elle - who stars in the show opposite Nicholas Hoult - admitted she'd like to try her hand at directing an episode.

Asked about the possibility, she told Entertainment Weekly magazine: "I don't know. I've thought about it. It would be fun. I could boss Nick around once and for all."

And the blonde beauty already has one suggestion for future seasons.

She exclaimed: "Have you seen the real Catherine the Great's furniture? Oh my God. It's literally carved with penises and vaginas. I want that furniture in there. Tony [McNamara, creator and writer], get the furniture in. It's so good."

Nicholas served as executive producer on season two but he admitted he finds it uncomfortable watching the show back.

He said in the joint interview: "That's something I've got to get better at, being able to watch things that I'm in and not just hate myself, so that I can have a good, objective eye about it in a way. It's something that I'm learning."