Carey Mulligan finds Meryl Streep ''incredibly inspiring''.

The 29-year-old actress stars with the 65-year-old screen legend in new movie 'Suffragette' and thinks the older star is a ''heroine'' to most women in their profession and uses her power in the right way.

She said: ''Meryl Street is probably most actresses' heroine but then she is incredibly inspiring.

''She's using her power in the industry in a really positive way. She's wanted to make a film about women's rights for a long time.''

Carey thinks it is disappointing that it has taken until now for the story of the women's suffrage movement to make it to the big screen.

She said: ''The mere fact that it's taken 100 years for this story to be told is hugely revealing.

''This is the story of equal rights in Britain and it took years of struggle and women being tortured, abused and persecuted, and it's never been put on screen.

''It's such a reflection of our film industry that that story hasn't been told yet.''

But the actress claims it comes as no surprise as the film industry is ''massively sexist'' and has few good female-focused stories.

She added in an interview with Time Out magazine: ''In terms of the amount of interesting roles there are for women it's obviously massively sexist.

''There's a lack of material for women. A lack of great stories for women.''

'Suffragette' is released in the UK on September 11 and internationally on October 23.