Shiri Appleby has admitted she loved looking natural on camera to play a producer in new drama UnREAL.

The Roswell star plays Rachel in the new Lifetime show about what goes on off camera on a Bachelor-inspired reality TV show, and as her character works behind the scenes as a runner on the show, she was dressed down in jeans and a t-shirt with barely any make-up, while the actresses playing reality contestants had to pile it on.

Shiri said: “It was freeing. It took me 20 minutes to go through hair and make-up every day, that’s it, and it was the best thing ever.

Shiri Appleby and Freddie Stroma
Shiri Appleby and Freddie Stroma, who plays Adam the Suitor on UnREAL (Lifetime)

“Because as an actress, not having to focus on your appearance, and walk in on set some days and have bags under my eyes, and that’s okay. It was just really freeing. I loved it, I really did.”

But because the show is centred on a TV crew, the 36-year-old actress admitted it could get a little confusing, and people would mistake her for a real member of the crew.

Shiri explained: “It took us two or three episodes at least, to work out who really worked on the show and who was part of the cast.

Constance Zimmer and the cast of UnREAL
Shiri Appleby and the cast of UnREAL (Lifetime)

“People would come up to me asking me for directions, or asking me what’s going on, thinking that I was actually a PA.”

UnREAL, which also stars Constance Zimmer, premieres on Lifetime on Tuesday July 7 at 10pm