Game of Thrones is often criticised for its gratuitous nudity and unfair portrayal of female characters, but actress Natalie Dormer thinks male actors suffer from objectification just as much as women do.

Asked about her personal experience of sexism as an actress, Dormer said: “My personal experience has been to work on phenomenal jobs in which the men are objectified as much as the women.

"Actors suffer from it, too. Wasn't there a thing about Aidan Turner in Poldark? It's a visual medium, so to a certain extent you get judged on the way you look.”

She added that actors are often typecast due to their physicality, and casting decisions aren’t always made on whether they are seen as attractive.

"We're not just talking about being slim here. We're talking about character actors with big eyes getting typecast in the 'friend' role. It's not just about bed-ability: it's about your physicality more generally,” she told Radio Times magazine.

Earlier this week, the actress defended the way the series presented sex in a “real and dirty” way instead of glamourising it as many other TV shows and films do.

Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Show all 10 1 /10 Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Jon Snow 'We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister 'Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.' Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister 'Death is so terribly final, while life is full of possibilities.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Ned Stark 'A ruler who hides behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.' Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister 'A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Cersei Lannister 'When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Barristan Selmy 'They say night’s beauties fade at dawn, and the children of wine are oft disowned in the morning light.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Ned Stark 'If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.' Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister 'Let them see that their words can cut you, and you’ll never be free of the mockery. If they want to give you a name, take it, make it your own. Then they can’t hurt you with it anymore.' HBO Readers' favourite lines from Game of Thrones Jorah Mormont and Daenerys Targaryen 'The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends,' Ser Jorah told her. “It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace.' He gave a shrug. 'They never are.' HBO

“Sex and romance is a huge part of human motivation. So long as it’s informing a story then I don’t see what the problem is…It’s about those raw, visceral qualities of human life that make good drama,” she told The Telegraph.