(Cover) - EN Movies - Stephen Frears believes there is a crisis in American acting.

The British director was forced to hire an English and Welsh actress for his new film, Lay the Favourite, despite originally wanting to cast American actors. However, he had to turn to Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rebecca Hall after failing to find a suitable cast. And he has blamed a lack of theatre training for some American actors' shortcomings.

"Well, I'll get shot but there is a sort of crisis in American acting," he told Radio Four's Front Row. "They kept suggesting actors for my film and I kept say, 'Look, we've got to have American's in this.' And indeed, I've ended up with two British women in it. It has Catherine and Rebecca Hall both of whom are wonderful.

"There is some sort of crisis in American acting. If I were being tedious I would say it's the lack of a theatre."

Stephen who directed The Queen also claims actors in the US haven't received enough coaching. He was shocked to discover some of the biggest stars in Hollywood hadn't been to acting classes.

"I remember saying to John Malkovich at some point when I was cross with him. I said, 'Why can't you speak faster?' He said, 'Well, I don't know where to breathe.' I said, 'Didn't they teach you that at drama school?' And he went, 'I've never had a drama lesson in my life,'" Stephen explained. (C) Cover Media