Matt Damon has been criticised by television viewers and on social media after he interrupted a black female producer to lecture her on diversity.
The Hollywood actor and director was appearing on the reality series Project Greenlight when the awkward moment with Effie Brown arose.
The HBO show, which also features the Oscar winner's long-time collaborator Ben Affleck, gives first-time film-makers $3m to direct their own movie.
Damon and Brown, who has produced many films including Dear White People, were discussing the plot to one of the films when Brown spoke of her concerns that the only black character was a prostitute.
She suggested that the project would benefit from a diverse directing team.
"I just would want to urge people to think about, whoever this director is, the way they're going to treat the character of Harmony. Her being a prostitute, the only black person being a hooker who gets hit by her white pimp," she said.
But Damon appeared not to agree, interrupting her by saying that diversity is "what you do in the casting of the movie, not the casting of the show".
Brown looked shocked at his suggestion that it was more important to cast diverse actors than diverse producers or directors and said: "Oh, wow! OK."
Damon has been slammed by Twitter users who accused the star of "whitesplaining" diversity.
One use wrote: "Thanks for interrupting the one black person in the room to tell her what diversity is about Matt Damon. HOLLYWOOD FIXED! #ProjectGreenlight."
Another tweeted: "Dear Matt Damon & co. Diversity = more people getting to tell their stories. Not keeping everything the same but thinking diverse thoughts."
Brown also took to Twitter herself and said: "Ooof! Wow! Okay. Thank you for watching the show and getting a great conversation started. I can't wait to hear you on the other episodes!"
And she retweeted a GIF of herself which contained the caption:"When you realise even the most liberal white dudes in Hollywood will mansplain representation to you."
However, Damon did go on to address the issue later in the show and said: "I'm glad Effie flagged the issue of diversity for all of us."
In a statement on Wednesday, Damon said he was "sorry" if his comments "offended some people, but at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood".
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