'I was so scared I barked at it': Katie Holmes opens up on her lifelong fear... of raccoons

Revealing her fears: Katie Holmes admitted she's terrified of raccoons as she appeared on The Tonight Show last night

Katie Holmes' latest film role sees her playing a stepmother living in a haunted house.

But when it comes to real-life, the actress admits she's actually terrified of raccoons.

Promoting her new movie Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, the 32-year-old revealed she loses her cool when near one of the furry mammals.


'Crazy lady': Host Jay Leno was bemused when Holmes admitted she barked at a raccoon

With Holmes spending a lot of the year living in New York City with husband Tom Cruise and their daughter Suri, Leno suggested the actress should be used to the creatures.

He said: '"Raccoons? Well you picked the wrong city young lady to live in. Why raccoons? Is it the mask? Do you think they're criminals? What is it?'

She replied: You know, most things are like dogs, you know, they're more afraid of you than you are of them and I don't find that.


Hot to trot: Holmes showed off her slim figure in a tight pair of red leather trousers


Holmes' defence mechanism prompted laughter from the audience, with Leno conceding: 'He's like, this lady's crazy.'

Also on the show, Holmes admitted her recent birthday surprise for Cruise was ruined when her plans were leaked to the media.

She explained: 'His birthday is in July and we were in Florida and I was really excited and I threw him a little kind of dinner party.

'Then it turned out that it was in the press, it was like this huge blowout, but it was really only like ten people, but I was like, okay, that's fine.'

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is released in the U.S. on August 26 and in the UK on October 7.


Show no fear: Holmes is terrified of raccoons


Check her out: Leno admired Holmes' recent cover for Spanish Vogue