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Amelie actress Audrey Tautou says that she decided not to pursue a Hollywood career because she did not want “every single millimetre” of her body being scrutinised.

The French filmstar, 36, shot to fame in Amelie in 2001 before landing a role opposite Tom Hanks in the US blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, the movie based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown.

Now she is set to appear in the lead role of an unhappily married woman in 1920s French film Thérèse Desqueyroux.

She told the Radio Times that the scrutiny of Hollywood actresses was “unforgiving”.

“I am very French. And in Hollywood, the pressure is different. The idea of being ‘bankable’ in France exists, but it’s not as unforgiving.”

Tautou, who starred as Coco Chanel in the 2009 French film about the famed fashion designer, said of Hollywood: “People staring at every single millimetre of your body and what you wear, it is a huge pressure. Some people are happy with that, but me, non.”

She said she would love to dabble in Hollywood, but that actresses could not win roles unless they moved to the US.

“Getting a role, like in The Da Vinci Code, that’s fine. Once in a while, I would love to, but it doesn’t work like that,” she said. “They are not just going to pick me up as an actress, with all the wonderful actresses they have.

“If you want to build a career in Hollywood, that is different. You have to move there. I would have to be away from my friends and family. Cinema is my passion. I admire American directors and love American movies. But my life is also something which is very important, and my ambition is not big enough.”

Tautou, who has been gracing the red carpet at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, added: “In Hollywood, there is a very important marketing, business, branding side. And I really don’t think I could be formated for that.”