West 'smarting' over foreign actors

Dominic West has claimed that foreign actors are taking roles that should be taken by Britons.

The Sheffield-born star, who himself played an Irish-American policeman in The Wire, said that he has taken the role of Australian scientist Professor Howard Florey in upcoming BBC Four drama Breaking The Mould as a form of revenge, The Guardian reports.

West said: "I'd never heard of this guy and I just thought it would be interesting to play this unknown guy and then they said he's the biggest guy in Australia.

"But I was sort of smarting from Russell Crowe coming over here and playing Robin Hood and all these foreigners coming over here and stealing our great heroes. I felt I was striking a blow back by being a Brit playing a foreigner."

He added: "I'd love to play Robin Hood but I'd particularly like to play all those parts Johnny Depp plays that are English people like the Earl of Rochester.

"I suppose for someone who made quite a lot of money out of being in an American TV show, I shouldn't moan really, but it does annoy me when Beatrix Potter is played by a Texan. What's wrong with our great Kate Winslet; why wasn't she Bridget Jones?"