Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis. [Source: BBC News]

Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis has hit back at critics over her portrayal of Michelle Obama in the new US TV drama series The First Lady.

Some viewers said Davis was overly pursing her lips, with many complaining her facial expressions were distracting and insulting.

Speaking to BBC News, Davis said it is “incredibly hurtful when people say negative things about your work”.

Criticism, she acknowledged, was an “occupational hazard” of acting.

“How do you move on from the hurt, from failure?” the 56-year-old asked. “But you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance.”

Media outlets drew attention to the online criticism of her portrayal of the former First Lady – who is a lawyer and the wife of former US President Barack Obama – in Showtime’s series.

The Daily Mail reported Davis was “mercilessly ridiculed” and drew attention to a plethora of critical tweets. One viewer called Davis’s “exaggerated” portrayal “unnecessary and borderline insulting”.

Another tweeted: “They set Viola Davis up by allowing her keep her mouth that way throughout the filming. It’s so cringey and distracting.”