Award-winning actress Olivia Colman has recalled trips to Norwich in her teens that shaped her future. 

The 48-year-old actress was born in Norfolk and attended Norwich High School for Girls and Gresham's School in Holt.

She has starred in films such as The Favourite, for which she received an Oscar for best actress, and The Father, with her latest film Empire of Light directed by Sam Mendes.

Eastern Daily Press: Cinema City in Norwich. Cinema City in Norwich. (Image: Archant)

She stars as Hilary Small in the latter, who is a duty manager at a coastal cinema in the 1980s and she is having an affair with two men - Mr Ellis (Colin Firth) and new employee Stephen (Michael Ward).

In a recent interview with The Mirror about the film, she recalled life-changing trips to watch the latest releases in Norwich.

She said: "As I got older and I became a teen, I discovered the arts cinema [Cinema City] and it was a game-changer.

Eastern Daily Press: Olivia Colman stars in new Sam Mendes film Empire of Light. Olivia Colman stars in new Sam Mendes film Empire of Light. (Image: PA)

"I felt very cool that I was going to see some arty films, and I discovered a whole new genre of filmmaking that I didn’t know existed before.

"Going to the cinema was a big event – travelling into the city for an hour to go and see a film – that was very exciting.”