The Oscar nominee is currently in Cannes promoting his new film The History Of Sound, in which he and Josh O’Connor play two men who fall in love in the early 20th century, while travelling around recording the folk songs and stories of American countrymen after World War I.

Speaking at a Cannes press conference, Paul was asked by Metro about the film being compared to Brokeback Mountain, another romantic drama set in a similar period, which centred around a same-sex love story.

The Normal People star responded: “When I look at Brokeback Mountain, it’s dealing with repression. This film is pointed in the opposite direction. To be honest, I find those comparisons lazy and frustrating.”