Dame Helen Mirren thinks there is still a way to go for women in Hollywood.

Dame Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren

The 'Woman In Gold' star believes there has been an "astronomical change" for actresses and female directors in the film industry but insists there is still progress to be made.

Speaking at a lunch at La Grenouille, she said: "I've witnessed such incredible change in my life that sometimes it makes me overly optimistic, and I think I'm wrong to be overly optimistic.

"[When you're young] the world is out there and it's your oyster. It gets very difficult when you have children. The film business is very tough on men and women ... they work incredibly long hours. You don't have time to take the children to school, you're on set at seven in the morning.

"The more women who are visible in the film industry, the more young women will say, 'Hey, I want to do that.' The tsunami is coming."

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old actress previously blasted sexism in Hollywood as "ridiculous".

She shared: "It's ridiculous. And 'twas ever thus. We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. It's so annoying."