Los Angeles, Dec 19 (IANS): Actress Anne Hathaway says she suffered a "crisis of conscience" while shooting a few scenes for "Les Miserables" as the vegan star had to step on dead fish for some sequences.

Hathaway turned vegan after she wrapped up work on blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises", and had fake leather shoes specially made for her character Fantine to fit her new lifestyle.

But little did she know that director Tom Hooper would be using real, rotten fish to recreate the authentic feel of the desperate streets of 19th century France for "Les Miserables", reports dailystar.co.uk.

"For some reason, for the dock scenes, (Hooper) wanted us to have dead fish, for days, and days and days on end and of course this was the first role that I've done since going vegan, so there I am in period-looking leather shoes, stepping on dead fish, and I was having a real crisis of conscience," said Hathaway.

She wasn't the only complaining crew member.

"Russell (Crowe) came in... and he just reacted like, 'What is this fetid air?' It's hilarious," she said.