Reese Witherspoon thinks Hollywood is "centuries behind" when it comes to gender equality.

When asked if she considers herself to be a feminist, the 38-year-old star said: "Obviously I'm a feminist, and I'm incredibly aware of the huge, huge problems [with gender disparity] in Hollywood.

"I mean, it's like, are we a century behind there in that world?"

However, Reese - who plays Cheryl Strayed in 'Wild', based on the memoir of the same name - heaped praise on the film's director Jean-Marc Vallee and screenplay writer Nick Hornby for their sensitive approach to making the film, which details a woman's journey of self-discovery.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: "But I think Nick and Jean-Marc have feminist sensibilities. They're men, but they are comfortable really both helping and allowing women to tell their stories."

Even the book's writer Cheryl expressed her concerns about her story being translated into a movie.

She said: "It's actually a challenging concept for a film, frankly, 'Oh, gee, a woman's walking alone through the wilderness. Let's make it a movie!' "