United Kingdom, May 3 -- Rachael Stirling was "s*** scared" of her mother, Dame Diana Rigg.

The 47-year-old actress revealed that her famous mother tried to discourage her from following in her acting footsteps and was disapproving of her work.

Speaking on Gyles Brandreth's 'Rosebud' podcast, Rachael said: "I was s*** scared of her really.

"She was disapproving and kind of dismissive of my work... it wasn't great.

"She was quite white-knuckled about holding on to the reins and not letting me do it [acting].

"She sort of ring-fenced her profession. And I was absolutely not allowed to go to drama school, although she did."

Rachael - who has starred in projects such as 'Doctor Who', 'Tipping The Velvet' and 'The Bletchley Circle' - als...