Balvinder Sopal admits Suki Panesar makes her "work hard" as an actor.
Balvinder Sopal as Suki
The 'EastEnders' star - who joined the BBC soap as the shopkeeper in January this year - has enjoyed delving into the character and making sure she wasn't a "one-dimensional" villain.
She told Inside Soap magazine: "She's been brilliant. She's really made me work hard, and I quite like that as it's not come naturally.
"And I don't just mean because I'm not a villainous person; but in terms of making it interesting, and not just playing one-dimensional villainy, trying to find more softer parts to her, even though there aren't that many.
"She's a no-nonsense, unapologetic character, and I quite like that about her."
The actress admitted she needed "a moment" to let everything sink in when she first stepped onto the Albert Square set.
She said: "Stepping on to the Square for the first time, I was just like, 'Can I please just take a moment?'
"I was on set the other day after hours, everybody had gone home - and I just stood in the Square, listening to the silence.
"But, of course, it's not silent, as you can hear all those past episodes; you can hear Lofty and Michelle, you can hear Angie and Den in the Vic, Kathy and Ian, Sharon and Grant. It's magical."
Meanwhile, Balvinder is a nominee for the virtual Inside Soap Awards in November, as she made the shortlist for the Best Villain category.
However, despite being glad to take on a character with a darker side, she suggested Suki may not actually be a typical soap baddie after all.
She added: "I think it is exciting - I’d rather be voted a villain than a romantic lead, as there’s more to play for!
"But I’m not sure Suki’s a villain completely, she has reasons for doing what she does. We’re all driven by something, aren’t we?”
Voting for the Inside Soap Awards is now open on their official website.
Read the full interview with Balvinder in the latest issue of Inside Soap magazine, on sale now.