Will Smith has sparked controversy by praising movie legend Cary Grant's on-screen violence towards women.

Smith has advised fellow actors to study the North By Northwest star's movie performances, because he admires Grant's ability to attack women, yet still retain the audience's sympathy.

He says, "I studied Cary Grant. I loved how Cary Grant could be aggressive with women.

"I think it was in The Philadelphia Story with Katharine Hepburn, in the first scene when she breaks his golf clubs and he realises he can't punch a woman.

"So he grabs her face and knocks her down - which I'm sure had to be shocking in a film, for someone to be that aggressive with a woman but still love them."