Sean Penn has claimed “cowardly genes” have led people to “surrender their jeans and put on a skirt”.

The actor was asked about his views on masculinity by the Independent, after stating that he “believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminised” in a prior interview.

Asked to clarify his comments, Penn said: “I think that men have, in my view, become quite feminised. I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them.

“There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.”

In an interview earlier this month with the iNewspaper on the same topic, Penn said: “I am in the club that believes men in American culture have become wildly feminised.

“I don’t think being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women is anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. But I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.”

The actor is promoting his new film Flag Day, directed by Penn, where he stars opposite his daughter Dylan Penn. He also recently played the role of Jack Holden in Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, Licorice Pizza.

In a four-star review of Licorice Pizza, NME wrote: “Though Hoffman’s Hollywood pedigree is strong (he’s the son of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman) the fact that he seems to have sprung from nowhere lends his portrayal of the precious Gary a heavy layer of authenticity.

“To the viewer, Cooper is Gary and it’s also surprisingly easy to separate Alana Haim the rock star from Alana Haim the movie star. With newcomers like this, who needs pros?”