Katie Holmes: 'Being a mum helped Don't Be Afraid of the Dark role'

Katie Holmes has revealed that she credits being a mother for her role in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

The Batman Begins actress, who has a daughter named Suri with husband Tom Cruise, insisted that she sympathised with her character in the Guillermo del Toro film since she is a mother herself.

"I think being a mum myself, when I read my character and I saw the journey she takes and how we see her make sacrifices for her child - I think I didn't understand that until I became a mum," Holmes told Reuters.

"Just how much you love this person - you will do anything for that person, and you have strength you didn't know that you had, which is what I like about my character."

Holmes concluded: "So I think that being a mum definitely gave me much more insight to this character."

The actress previously admitted that she was terrified by the script for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, saying that she kept Suri close after reading the screenplay.

In July, Holmes said that she believes the 5-year-old will grow up to become an actress like her parents.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark opens on August 26 in the US and October 7 in the UK.

Watch the trailer for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark below: