Jamie Dornan suggests people who called The Tourist a Steven Spielberg ‘rip off’ were too busy tweeting to pay attention

Some viewers accusing the show of copying Steven Spielberg’s ‘Duel’

Jamie Dornan has hit out at viewers who called The Tourist a “rip off” of Steven Spielberg’s film Duel.

Earlier this year, Dornan starred in the BBC thriller series, which some viewers accused of “ripping off” Spielberg’s 1971 film Duel, which was written by Richard Matheson.

The Fifty Shades of Grey star criticised people who instantly react to what they are watching by posting on social media, telling viewers to “f***ing put your phone down”.

Dornan told Esquire: “You’re not invested in a show if every frame of the movie you’re tweeting about. Look, f***ing put your phone down and look up and watch it and see.”

“You can miss s***, particularly if you’re just tweeting your angry thoughts about ripping off Steven Spielberg,” he said.

In the series, Dornan starred as a man left with amnesia after being rammed off the road in the Australian outback.

Elsewhere in the interview, the actor criticised fans for “prejudging” actors when they are cast in roles, citing Robert Pattinson’s recent casting as Batman as an example.

The Belfast star said that “prejudgement is such a f***ing disease” before going on to address how the topic affects his “line of work”.

Jamie Dornan and Robert Pattinson (Getty Images)

“In general, people prejudge people based on f***ing anything really, and it’s very sad,” he said.

“Look at the reaction when Rob [Pattinson] got cast as Batman. It was like 90 per cent negative. Daniel Craig got cast as James Bond – I mean that was 100 per cent negative.”

He continued: “It was vile what was written. It was actually disturbing when you see the f***ing venomous anger that people have over casting decisions.

“And then guess what? Daniel Craig is f***ing brilliant, and it changes the whole energy of Bond. And all the naysayers love what Rob has done with Batman.”