Actress MICHELLE YEOH claims Hollywood is still wearing blinkers - when it comes to casting actors and actresses from the Orient.

The TOMORROW NEVER DIES star insists her home sub-continent plays host to a wider variety of individuals and lifestyles than Tinseltown cares to admit.

She says, "There are too many studios, producers and casting directors who live in the Dark Ages. They see us only going around chopping each other to death with our bare hands. "If that image may be a trifle outdated, then they return to the idea of THE SEVEN SAMURAI and want to cast us clutching huge swords and screaming into the camera. It is so silly."

Malaysian-born Yeoh is one of the stars of ANG LEE's highly praised martial arts epic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. The 38- year-old describes the film as "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY meets JACKIE CHAN". She plays a sword-wielding, high-kicking martial arts expert. But she says the drama is more than just another Kung Fu action movie, adding, "Essentially, the film has a heart and a meaning. It is not just about actors and actresses from the Far East beating each other to death. That is so boring." (RGS/WNWCAN/NFA)

Source: WENN