Emily Ratajkowski has hailed Sophia Loren as "the most beautiful, elegant movie star ever".

Emily Ratajkowski

Emily Ratajkowski

The 26-year-old actress was styled to resemble the 'Two Women' star in her recent photoshoot for Allure magazine, and the 'Gone Girl' beauty believes the 82-year-old movie legend and singer is the world's most attractive female "throughout time".

Speaking about the iconic figure in an interview with the publication, Emily said: "I think she's the most beautiful, elegant movie star ever, like throughout time."

Sophia was recognised as a sex symbol during the peak of her career, and Emily admires the star for finding "empowerment" in the recognised title.

She continued: "Sophia Loren, specifically, found empowerment in being the sex symbol but also she was this incredible actress and woman who lived through all kinds of things. She was a mother, and she still represents all these different sides. I love that.

"It's also about having the means to expand on all of the possible versions of yourself and the strength to be whoever you want."

Meanwhile, Emily doesn't want to get typecast as a "hot girl" and has admitted she is more selective about her film roles, although she is grateful her modelling career to fall back on.

Speaking previously, she said: "I'm always looking for scripts that pass the Bechdel test and this is definitely one where, for the first time, you see my character in their own world and their story through their perspective - not just a male perspective, and that's exciting for me.

"That's basically my strategy...and part of the reason I'm so grateful I have modelling and so many other things that I'm doing - because if I didn't have other ways of making money, I'd be like, 'OK, I guess I'm doing the bathing-suit-girl role.' "