Christopher Eccleston claims 'A-list actress' accused him of 'copping a feel' during sex scene

Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has criticised a famous actress who he claimed accused him of "copping a feel" while they shot a sex scene.

Ecclestone, 59, has refuted the accusation by a former co-star, who he did not name.

He told the Independent: "I did a sex scene with an A-list actress – not Nicole Kidman, who was brilliant – and she implied, in front of the crew, that I was copping a feel because she didn’t like me."

The publication reported that the actor's "anger" was still palpable as he relayed the incident.

"I don’t think that would have happened with an intimacy coordinator on set. I could have been accused of all manner of things… that’s about what passes between actors, with trust and the abuse of it."

Eccleston has been promoting his new role as a police boss having an affair with Jodie Foster’s character in the new season of True Detective.

"I’d never have taken such a small part if it wasn’t for Jodie," he said. "But all my scenes are with her, and she’s been a heroine of mine for many years."

He revealed that the pair worked with an intimacy coordinator on the show, which he referred to as "a wonderful innovation in the industry".

"Not just because it protects people, but to creatively decide how a scene should be played," he said. "If I were a writer, that would be very important to me – because the way people have sex is how they communicate."

True Detective is available to watch in the US on HBO and in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW.