According to Douglas, who compared with his hyper masculine father Kirk was a relatively good looking TV star without any overt macho tendencies when he broke through in the series The Streets Of San Francisco more than 40 years ago, American actors don't compare.

"With the Aussies, particularly with the males it's the masculinity," Douglas told The Independent. " In the US we have this relatively asexual or unisex area with sensitive young men and we don't have many Channing Tatums or Chris Pratts, while the Aussies do. It's a phenomena."

Aside from the rarity of Pratts and Tatums – the latter of whom has been in Australia this week promoting his flesh-baring role as a male stripper – Douglas also suggested an approach more focused on social media than technique wasn't doing his countrymen any favours.

"Clearly, it breaks down on two fronts. In Britain they take their training seriously while in the States we're going through a sort of social media image conscious thing rather than formal training," Douglas said. "Many actors are getting caught up in this image thing which is going on to affect their range."

It wasn't just men of course, Douglas citing roles taken by young English women which might once have gone to American women.

"There's something going on with young American actors - both men and women - because the Brits and Australians are taking many of the best American roles from them."  However, it is the perceived crisis in male leads which worries him most.

"There's a crisis in young American actors right now," he said. "Everyone's much more image conscious than they are about actually playing the part."