Jason Clarke has dismissed criticism surrounding "First Man" as "nonsense" following accusations that moon landing film is less patriotic.
The Damien Chazelle directorial received brickbats after film's lead Ryan Gosling said he believed Neil Armstrong's moonwalk "was widely regarded not as an American, but as a human achievement".
Senator Marco Rubio slammed the makers for not showing the American flag being planted on the moon in the film.
Clarke, who plays Edward Higgins White, the first American man to walk in space, in the film, said, "It's nonsense, it's just nonsense. The film itself can be interpreted as patriotic.
"It's just silly and naive I think. Of course it celebrates one of the greatest acts of America and Americans and humanity and mankind."