Brie Larson needed to "find herself" after making 'Room'.
Larson admits playing Ma in the gritty drama took its toll on her because she got "in deep" and needed to figure out who she was afterwards.
She said: "This time a year ago I was still trying to figure out who I was.
"The movie was done but I was in deep, searching, trying to remember who I was before this movie.
"Who I was by the time the movie was over was so far away from who I was when I started. So it was a long process of trying to find myself."
But these days, Brie - who scooped Best Actress at last month's Oscars - is more secure in who she is and felt "strong and excited" when she picked up her award.
She told Britain's OK! magazine: "The weird part is, I'm standing here now, completely myself.
"Everything about this experience, down to the way I felt about it, the dress I'm wearing, has been pointedly about it being a representation of who I am.
"I feel really strong and excited to be holding this gold guy. It's an incredible metaphor for how I feel inside."
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