Miller criticises Hollywood's leading men

Director Frank Miller has revealed that he struggled to cast the lead role in The Spirit because of the lack of macho leading men in Hollywood.

The Sin City co-director eventually chose Gabriel Macht to play the eponymous hero, noting that he did not want a recognisable star leading the movie.

"It was a very long process but I demanded at the beginning that the Spirit be someone you'd never seen before," Miller said. "I didn't want you to think of this as another role for Val Kilmer.

"We interviewed dozens and dozens of people. It was very difficult because we were interviewing them in Hollywood. There's a bit of a problem in that Hollywood breeds many a good male actor but it breeds very, very few men.

"We had to find someone who could play not only a man but a hero. And not only a hero, but one who could stumble from time to time and one who could look a bit foolish - especially when beautiful women are around, which they are in abundance. Gabriel walked away with the part."

The Spirit, which also features Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson, is out in cinemas now.

> Miller talks Sin City, 300 sequels