Maggie Q was exhausted and dehydrated after Nikita's first season

Live Free Or Die Hard star Maggie Q had to take a break from her TV assassin character Nikita after the series' first season - because the role left her exhausted.

The actress reveals she needed medical attention after spending 18 hours a day playing the tough girl.

She tells WENN, "I was so fatigued, after the first season I was on an IV (intravenous drip) for, like, a couple weeks. I was so depleted. My adrenals were done. My endocrine system shut down. Everything just shut down, because the physicality was a lot.

"I was immersed in this sort of street kid/drug addict/cop killer... and I realized that when the first season had finished, that I had spent more time being her than I had being myself. I finished on set after a 12 to 18 hour day, and then I would go home, sleep, wake up, and go back, right back to being her. It wasn't healthy at all.

"I was depleted completely, and it was so strange to not know why I was so tired. You put in hours, but you're giving a lot emotionally. You're giving a lot mentally. You're giving a lot physically, and it takes everything. It weighs on you. You do need to actually make a conscious decision to take the time for yourself."