Actor Dustin Hoffman issued an apology after writer Anna Graham Hunter accused him of sexually harassing and gr-ping her on the set of a TV film in 1985, when she was 17 years old.

In a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Hunter alleged that Hoffman touched her buttocks and made sexual comments to her.

She also shared extracts from letters she wrote at the time detailing her experience.

Hunter said she was worried she would be fired if she objected to the harassment.

She said she now considered Hoffman’s behaviour to have been “sexual harassment” and an example of predatory behaviour.

Hunter claimed that while taking Hoffman’s breakfast order on the set of Death of a Salesman, he said: “I’ll have a hard-boiled egg … and a soft-boiled clitris”.

Hunter also wrote that she was afraid that the film’s producer, Bob Colesberry, would fire her for swatting away Hoffman’s hand after he gr-ped her.

She said: “I’m not going to let Dustin have his hands all over me. And I think it sucks if Bob Colesberry expects me to.”

In the Hollywood Reporter article, Hunter also recounted several inappropriate comments that Hoffman made to her and other women on set.

She said that as a teenager, she felt flattered by the actor’s attention but had changed her opinion as an adult.

Responding to the allegations, Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter: “I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation. I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am.”

The allegations against Hoffman come amid a growing wave of revelations about sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood.

Over 50 women have accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault, prompting a wider public conversation about harassment in the entertainment industry.

Other high-profile figures have also been accused of sexual misconduct, including Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Piven.

Hunter’s column came after actress Lupita Nyong’o wrote an op-ed for The New York Times in which she alleged that Weinstein had sexually harassed her.

Hunter has previously worked on shows including “The Leftovers” and “Transparent”, while Hoffman is known for his work in films such as “The Graduate” and “Rain Man”.