Jada Pinkett Smith says people should “figure out” what they want to do in live action movies before the cameras roll.

The actress voices the character of hippo Gloria in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. She enjoys working on the franchise because there is more freedom than when she makes feature films.

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer are also involved with the animated franchise and Jada explained it’s usually her who wants to alter her performance.

“You have as much space as you need. If I go into a session and I do something and go: ‘I wasn't happy with that, I'd like to do that again,’ they say: ‘OK, not a problem.’ Whereas, in live action, I tell ya what: it's best that you figure it out that day,” she said.

“You can go back, but there's a lot more studio executives involved on that call. I always have to come back, anyway. I'm the only one out of all of them that never gives a bunch of different options of line readings. I can only imagine what we'd create if we were in a room together.”

Jada has been promoting the release at the Cannes Film Festival.

She has been to the French event many times before but is glad some aspects of her attendance have changed.

“It's very busy and very beautiful. Oh my goodness. Usually when I have come it's rainy. The first time here I was 20, for Menace II Society. Oh boy, I didn't know anything then. My outfits were just… woah,” she laughed to British newspaper The Guardian.