Michelle Williams reduced to tears by Manchester by the Sea role

Michelle Williams "couldn’t stop crying" when she watched her performance in ‘Manchester by the Sea’.

The 36-year-old actress stars as Randi in the recently released drama, a heartbroken mother dealing with a family tragedy, and has said she found it difficult to take on the role as "something happening to your child" is the worst thing she has had to experience.

She said: "I couldn’t stop crying. It’s like the darkest part of your heart, something happening to your child … She’s making a brave choice, moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. Because it is a choice. I would exit … It would be so much easier than living with the loss."

Michelle shares a connection with her character in the movie as she had to deal with her own loss when her former partner Heath Ledger – with whom she shares 11-year-old daughter Matilda – died in 2008 from an accidental drug overdose.

The blonde screen beauty has said that despite her belief in "not fighting circumstances", she doesn’t believe the star’s death happened for a reason.

Speaking to Porter magazine, the star said: "In all honesty, for pretty much everything else, I feel like I’m a believer in not fighting circumstances, accepting where you are and where you’ve been.

"In pretty much all senses but one. I would be able to go totally down that line of thinking were it not for Matilda not having her dad. You know that’s just something that doesn’t … I mean, it just won’t ever be right."

Meanwhile, Michelle admits she is finding it "really sensitive" learning how to date again and trying to explain her situation as she didn’t anticipate she would still be dating in her 30s.

She explained: "Talk about a learning process. I think God, what would I say about it? I feel really sensitive about it and certainly did not expect to still be dating at 36 with an 11 year old. This is not what I imagined."