Keira Knightley refuses to star in nude scenes directed by men

Keira Knightley will no longer participate in any onscreen nude scenes directed by men.

The 35-year-old actress has featured in a number of sex and nude scenes in movies such as Atonement but revealed in a new interview that she is now at a point in her career where she is no longer interested in filming them.

"It's partly vanity and also it's the male gaze. If I was making a story that was about that journey of motherhood and body (acceptance) I feel like, I'm sorry, but that would have to be with a female filmmaker," Keira told filmmaker Lulu Wang and journalist Diane Solway on the Chanel Connects podcast. "I don't have an absolute ban, but I kind of do with men."

The Pirates of the Caribbean star said she understands the value of those types of scenes, but is fed up of being the focus of the male gaze and just being employed to "look hot".

"I don't want it to be those horrible sex scenes where you're all greased up and everybody is grunting. I'm not interested in doing that," she explained. "I feel very uncomfortable now trying to portray the male gaze. Saying that, there's times where I go, 'Yeah, I completely see where this sex would be really good in this film and you basically just need somebody to look hot.'"

Keira, who shares two daughters with husband James Righton, no longer feels comfortable showing off her post-baby body while on set.

"I'm too vain and the body has had two children now and I'd just rather not stand in front of a group of men naked," she added.