While it has long been accepted that the job of an actor is to pretend to be someone they are not, some activists have lately admonished non-LGBT actors for taking on roles that do not match their sexuality or gender identity.

Cate Blanchett has blamed reality television for this backlash, vowing to “fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief”.

The actress, who played a lesbian in Oscar-nominated film Carol, said part of the pleasure of acting is “finding out what makes [the character] tick.”

The Lord of The Rings star made her comments during a Q&A at the Rome Film Festival.

“I will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience,” she said.

Blanchett added: “I think reality television and all that that entails had an extraordinary impact, a profound impact on the way we view the creation of character. “I think it provides a lot of opportunity, but the downside of it is that we now, particularly in America, I think, we expect and only expect people to make a profound connection to a character when it’s close to their experience.”

Scarlett Johansson was recently forced to withdraw from a role as a transgender man in the film “Rub & Tug” after backlash from campaigners, while Eddie Redmayne faced criticism for playing a transgender woman in The Danish Girl.