Carey Mulligan has revealed her role in Far From the Madding Crowd was far from romantic as she spent hours standing in a bath full of sheep droppings.

The actress plays Bathsheba Everdene in the big screen adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel and said a scene where her character tries to impress love interest Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts) and his friends by wading in to a sheep bath with them and the animals had little Hollywood glamour to it.

Mulligan attending the world premiere of the film at the BFI Southbank, London. Photo: Matt Crossick/PA Wire

Speaking at the film’s premiere at London’s BFI cinema, she said: “That was so much fun, although slightly disgusting by the end of the day. The sheep were doing their business in the water.

“The boys whinged constantly but they were wearing wetsuits under their costumes – I was wearing no wetsuit, so I was basically swimming in sheep excrement all day, which was a joy.”

Bathsheba is torn between romances with three men in the film, played by Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge.

Mulligan, 29, said of having three leading men: “It was fun, it was great. They’re such good characters, so different, and we got such brilliant casting, so I felt like every day I had a different treat to get to act with these three brilliant actors.”

Of her favourite, she added: “I can’t pick – Tom Sturridge I’ve known since we were 18, so for us to get to work together was so much fun. It was a treat to work with all of them.”

Schoenaerts was also on the red carpet and joked about the appeal of men who take roles in period dramas. He said: “The premiere’s tonight, then I’m going to rush out of the theatre and lock myself in my room.”

The 37-year-old also admitted to nerves over how the film would be received: “Let’s see if people feel what we were trying to put into it. I’m curious. I’m nervous as hell, can’t you tell? I hide my nerves well.”

Director Thomas Vinterberg, screenwriter David Nicholls and actress Jessica Barden were also at the premiere.