Los Angeles, Apr 30 (IANS): Actress Denise Richards has admitted she was left "heartbroken" after being criticised for her sexualised James Bond role.

The 52-year-old actress played Dr Christmas Jones in 'The World Is Not Enough', but was "panned" for her performance after wearing a crop top and a tiny pair of shorts, reports mirror.co.uk.

Denise Richards starred as Dr Christmas Jones in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, but faced backlash for wearing a racy outfit while playing the scientist.

Denise, who starred alongside Pierce Brosnan in the film, said she received insults from people who would question why she wore shorts if her character was a nuclear scientist.

Speaking about the backlash in a new interview, she recalled: "It broke my heart that people were making fun of me."

Responding to the criticism, Denise added: "I'm playing a Bond girl. If I wore a lab coat and pants and a suit, then (fans) would have been upset."

A new star is needed to take on the iconic role of James Bond after Daniel Craig announced he would be retiring from the role of the sophisticated spy four years ago.

Speaking to Variety, Denise shared her thoughts on who should take over the role.

"Definitely a male Bond, I'm sorry. And I might get a lot of flack for this. But the fact of the matter is the Bond franchise was based off of a book franchise and Bond was male in the books," she explained.

She added: "I do, and people may s**t on me for it, but I believe it."

The Hollywood star suggested there could be a spin-off film with a female version of 007.