Marion Cotillard has rejected the idea of feminism, saying she believes it creates “separation” between men and women.

The Oscar-winning French actor, 39, is promoting her latest film, Justin Kerzel’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which she stars as Lady Macbeth alongside Michael Fassbender.

“For me, it doesn’t create equality, it creates separation," she tells Porter magazine.

“I mean, I don’t qualify myself as a feminist. We need to fight for women’s rights, but I don’t want to separate women from men.”

Cotillard's comments come at a time when talk of sexism in Hollywood has been omnipresent.

Most recently, Helen Mirren described it as “profound”, Sienna Miller turned down a play due to unequal pay, Anne Hathaway complained of losing roles to 24-year-olds and Rose McGowan was dropped by her agent for exposing a sexist casting call in which she was asked to show her cleavage.

Marion Cotillard: “I am not a feminist - it creates separation”