Aussie actress and new Supergirl Milly Alcock reveals how she handles criticism - after Superman actor Dean Cain mocked her appearance

Australian actress and new Supergirl Milly Alcock has issued a classy response about taking on the iconic role, after Lois and Clark star Dean Cain cruelly mocked her appearance.

The Sydney-born actress, 26, recently stunned on the cover of Stylist Magazine, as she told the publication that she was openly embracing her imperfections.

In her trademark cheeky style, Milly said she had a somewhat bizarre response to being asked to audition for the upcoming blockbuster.

'Okay, sure, why not? F**k it,' she joked, admitting she adopted an anything-goes mindset as she tried out for the coveted role.

'I didn't think I could handle it. I didn't feel deserving, I felt guilty about it, and I felt scared.' 

Last month, the actress said that she had developed a thick skin when it came to online criticism, and was not bothered by what haters said about her on social media.

'[The criticism] is from a lot of people whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts, or someone's name and then "Dad of four, Christian," which is hilarious to me,' she told Variety Magazine.

'I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? If you're pissing the right kind of people off, you're doing okay!' 

It comes after Lois and Clark star Dean Cain faced backlash from Superman fans after seemingly mocking Milly Alcock's appearance on social media.

The conservative actor, 59, came under fire after responding to a meme that likened her to the primitive, ape-like human Cha-ka from the 1974 series Land of the Lost.

A troll responded to Cain on X with an unflattering photo of Cha-ka and asked, 'And why does she look like this guy?'

Cain then responded, 'Dang it... I laughed,' followed by a smiling emoji.

The actor's reaction to the cruel comparison quickly spread on social media, leaving a number of superhero fans outraged. 

'What a fantastic way to kill your legacy, @RealDeanCain. And what a glorious way to lose the respect of millions of kids that looked up to you three decades ago. What a disgrace,' wrote one.

Another commented, 'Your Superman performance is never going to be looked back upon fondly, your bitter jealousy has tainted any legacy you had left.' 

Cain eventually clarified that he 'never said she was ugly', but seemed overall unbothered by the backlash.

The Daily Mail has contacted both Cain and Alcock for comment. 

Cain is best known for playing Superman in the '90s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

In recent years, he has become more known for his right-wing politics and last year announced plans to join the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

In April, Alcock admitted that she was bracing for backlash ahead of Supergirl's release because she's used to women being harshly scrutinised by fans of popular franchises. 

Reflecting on her time starring in the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, Alcock told Vanity Fair, 'It definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on.'

She added, 'We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women's bodies. I can't really stop them. I can only be myself.'

Supergirl is the second film to be released in the newly rebooted DC Universe.

It follows last year's Superman, which grossed $618 million worldwide and won praise from critics. 

Alcock had a small part in Superman, which was set up as a teaser for her leading role in Supergirl, which comes out later this month. 

Supergirl also stars Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, and Emily Beecham.

It will be followed by more DC Comics movies, including Clayface and Man of Tomorrow.