Joanna Lumley says she is “terrified that all men are seen as bad” in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal which engulfed Hollywood.
The Ab Fab star, 71, recently hosted the film Baftas, which was dominated by the Time’s Up and MeToo movements.
And she told Good Housekeeping: “This year I do feel the spirit of the suffragettes is with us and we’re speaking out about women being treated badly around the world.
“That said, I am terrified that all men are seen as bad.”
She added: “I love and respect men. I am married to one, I work with some wonderful men and I have a son.
“We mustn’t deride all men, as only the few are bad and we need to remember that too.”
Lumley said of hosting the film Baftas: “Even though they (the stars) were dressed in black, they looked wonderful.
“It felt right to wear black at the time [in support of MeToo]. Anything that empowers women is to be supported.”
Lumley, who has also forged a reputation as a campaigner, said that she speaks up for what she believes in partly because her mother was a “very good role model”.
She told the magazine: “She couldn’t bear bullying and had an enormous sense of social justice. ‘Do as you would be done by’ was always her mantra… ‘Be reliable, don’t be a thief or a snitch or a husband stealer’, all those lessons were instilled into me as a child and to stand up to any form of wrongdoing and bullying.”
The actress, who is hitting the road in her It’s All About Me tour, said of her plans: “Let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger, so I want to do this before I lose my marbles and while I can still remember all the different parts of my life!”
The full interview is in the June issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale on May 2.