Beyonce Talks Career, Family, New Movie and ‘Shock’ Over Reaction to Cuba Trip [ABC News]

Now on her Mrs. Carter Show world tour, Beyonce is on top of the music world, and the singer/actress is also taking on the role of Queen Tara in the upcoming animated film, “EPIC.”

In an interview with ABC News’ Amy Robach on the London leg of her tour, Beyonce talked about her latest role, married life and how shocked she was at the outcry over her recent trip to Cuba.

She and her husband, rapper/music mogul Jay-Z, went to the communist Caribbean nation for their fifth wedding anniversary, and last month the couple came under fire from lawmakers who questioned whether they had the proper permits to go there.

The U.S. government prohibits travel to Cuba except under certain strict conditions.

Asked what she thought of the outcry over her trip to Cuba, Beyonce said she found the reaction “quite shocking.”

“You know, it was such a beautiful trip. I met some incredible children. I visited some incredible entrepreneurs. And it was really, it was really educational for me. I learned so much about so many people and the country, and it was actually quite shocking,” she said.

But the singer said she has learned to handle criticism throughout her career, and she’s forging ahead.

“EPIC,” which hits theaters on May 24, is a fantasy adventure that also stars the voices of Aziz Ansari, Amanda Seyfried, Pitbull and Steven Tyler. It tells the story of an ongoing battle between good and evil, and of a teenage girl who teams up with a band of warriors to save their secret universe and her own.

“You know, I was so honored when they asked for me to do this role. And I was actually pregnant at the time. And I thought, ‘You know, by the time this comes out my daughter will … understand it’s my voice and what an incredible, cool point,’” she said, laughing.

Beyonce called the role “beautiful.

“It has so much depth. You know, it’s so emotional,” she said. “And I literally, I was crying when I — when I did the voiceover. And it was the first thing I did after giving birth. And there’s a scene where I pick the pod. And literally there were … tears falling.”