Renegade Nell star was "absolutely terrified to take on Adrian Lester"

Renegade Nell star Louisa Harland admits she was "absolutely terrified" of going toe-to-toe with Adrian Lester.

In the historical fantasy show's big finale, Harland's highwayman Nell Jackson must battle Lester's deadly Earl of Poynton, and while chatting exclusively to Digital Spy, the actress was quizzed on their scene's gruelling nature.

"Well, we filmed it in the middle of the night, over the course of a week," she revealed.

Related: Ted Lasso star talks "enigmatic" new pixie character in Renegade Nell

"I was absolutely terrified to take on Adrian Lester, because he's the real deal. He's a black belt in karate. He's perfect for it."

Harland, whose breakout role came as Orla McCool in Derry Girls, went on to recall: "I actually missed a step when we were fighting in the sequence, and I did get smacked in the face by Adrian with a double-edged sword. And I really enjoyed it! They used that take, I can tell you that much.

"But, no, it was amazing, and I had a lot of confidence in the fight department at that point when we filmed the final episode. But, you know, it really was Harry [Potter] meeting [Lord] Voldemort; you know, her meeting her match. And it was very much Louisa meeting Adrian.

"But, you know, I'm such a huge fan of him. He's such an incredible actor, and such an incredible performer."

Related: Where is Renegade Nell filmed?

Further along, Harland also opened up about her preparation for Renegade Nell, which included weeks of physical endurance work.

"Two months of fight training and martial arts, and horse-riding lessons, to even start the shoot. And, God, did I need it," she said.

Renegade Nell is now available to stream on Disney+.

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