Carey Mulligan on Portraying 'the Reality for Women' in Films Including She Said and Promising Young Woman

Carey Mulligan is drawn to projects that help her shed light on bigger issues.

In the latest installment of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, the Oscar-nominated actress dishes on her own new podcast series, I Hear Fear, which premiered on Amazon Music last month; it features unique and scary stories from compelling writers and literary legends. Mulligan, 37, serves as the host and narrator.

PEOPLE Every Day host Janine Rubenstein points out that Mulligan is no stranger to working on projects inspired by alarming real-life events. In her latest film She Said, which was released in the U.S. on Friday, Nov. 18, Mulligan and Zoe Kazan portray New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who broke the story that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein had been sexually assaulting women for decades.

RELATED: Carey Mulligan Felt 'Weight of Responsibility' for Harvey Weinstein Victims While Filming 'She Said'

Universal Pictures Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan in She Said (2022)

"I think what the film does so brilliantly is, you know, there was so much written about Harvey Weinstein ... the focus seemed to be a lot on what the ramifications would be of that article," she said of the response to the article at the time.

She added, "But I think what I really didn't appreciate ... was who were the women who made this happen. Because this story has been chased for years by reporters; lots and lots of incredibly capable, talented journalists had tried to run their story. And it ended up being that it was Megan Twohey and Jody Kantor who got the story on the record."

Mulligan also credited the accusers who were willing to go on the record: "Ashley Judd, Zelda Perkins, Laura Madden, these incredibly courageous women came forward and kind of put everything on the line. And I feel like the film is a kind of moment to thank them. It's really about courage. It's about female courage and I think it puts their, sort of, heroism front and center."

RELATED: Carey Mulligan Reveals How Returning to Work Helped Her After Postpartum Depression

Mulligan also earned critical acclaim for another recent role based on a woman who seeks justice after a sexual assault, in Promising Young Woman.

Released on Christmas Day in 2020, the film features Mulligan as Cassie, a medical student who had a bright future ahead of her until a traumatizing event derailed her life, leading her down a road of revenge. Mulligan's portrayal landed her a Best Actress nomination in 2021.

Asked by Rubenstein what compels her to star in films like these, Mulligan explained, "They couldn't be more different films, but they are covering similar subjects. I think there's a familiarity."

RELATED VIDEO: Carey Mulligan on Why 'Promising Young Woman' Struck a Nerve: "There's So Much to Unpack"

Added Mulligan: "It's one of the biggest issues that we face as women from the day we are born and from being little girls and teenagers. We've talked about this a lot, Zoe Kazan and I, in the the last couple of weeks promoting [She Said]. She said that you are kind of brought up in a society where you are taught to sort of be on the back foot or to be on the defense and that you need to arm yourself to what might happen. And I think it's important to try and put out into the world: This is the reality for women all over the world."

Mulligan said that the stories she's sharing through film are nothing new when it comes to the challenges that women face.

"This has always been the case for our mothers and our grandmothers. And you know, this is a conversation that needs to continue."

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Mulligan challenged: "How do we not have to raise little girls to think about themselves differently? We want to be able to raise an equal society where women don't live in fear."

Of her roles in films like She Said and Promising Young Woman, Mulligan concluded, "I think a lot of these stories are worth reminding. It's worth bearing in mind. It's worth thinking about. I think, you know, art plays a part. We're not activists or anything like that. There are incredible people who dedicate their lives to that. But I think as storytellers there is a role to play in sort of putting ideas into people's living rooms, or into their date nights and sparking conversations over dinner at home."

Check out more episodes of PEOPLE Every Day, airing on Apple podcasts, iHeartMedia, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.