Andrea Riseborough - Andrea Riseborough: Men have always dominated acting

Andrea Riseborough: Men have always dominated acting

Andrea Riseborough says acting has always been male-dominated.

The 31-year-old star was unfazed by her work on 'Welcome to the Punch' despite being surrounded by men in the cast and explained the industry has been a similar way since the days of William Shakespeare.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday newspaper's You magazine, she said: ''It was quite a male set, but it's not really an extraordinary thing because as [an actress] you spend your time with lots of men and that hasn't really changed since Shakespearean times.

''It's the grim reality - but it's not so grim because I like men and it was an interesting film to make.''

The actress appears as Sarah Hawks in the thriller alongside James McAvoy (Max Lewinsky) and Mark Strong (Jacob Sternwood) and they - along with director Eran Creevy - were a big part of her decision to take the part.

She explained: ''I really wanted to take on the role because of the actors - James and Mark and Daniel Mays. And I wanted to make a film with the director Eran Creevy.

''He was tireless and funny and always bouncing around, even though the film's subject matter wasn't exactly bouncy.''