Hollywood stars have leapt to the defence of Australian actress Rachel Ward after her natural appearance became the subject of vile online debate.

The 68-year-old former star of The Thorn Birds posted a recent selfie video updating the public about her family’s regenerative beef farm in rural NSW.

But the comments in response to her post were so cruel that Ward’s daughter, Matilda Brown, posted another video highlighting what people had said.

“My mum put this video up of herself and these were some of the comments about her appearance,” Matilda wrote this week on Instagram.

The comments included: “Omg!! What the hell happened to her. Wow!! She has aged really really bad.”

Another person wrote: “I read she’s 68. Looks way older! I’m 62 and can’t believe she’s only a few years older than me.”

Rachel Ward wanted to share an update on the family farm. Photo: Instagram

Wrote jaybird7456: “Oh wow. Wish I never saw her like this…old is one thing but completely giving up and throwing in the towel not the way to go out. Rachel fix yourself there’s still time.”

The comments were so vicious they sparked an online debate, with many other social media users speaking out against such “shitty opinions”.

Matilda’s footage included a beautiful montage of her mother sharing special moments with her grandchildren and husband Bryan Brown, also an actor, and enjoying their rural lifestyle.

“If ageing naturally at 68 is so shocking then prepare to be SHOCKED,” she wrote on the video, backed by Phil Collins’ Against All Odds (Take a look at me now).

Footage of Rachel Ward with her grandson touched people’s hearts. Photo: Instagram

The intimate clip triggered an outpouring of more than 20,000 comments, most of them praising Ward for ageing naturally and beautifully, and living a contented life away from the spotlight.

Among those coming to her defence were Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, 60, who has had media attention for letting her hair go grey.

“She is sincerely beautiful. For real. No qualifiers. Just a beauty. I’m sure inside and out. Xxx,” SJP wrote.

The Help actress Viola Davis said Ward was “beautiful…in every way”.

Avatar star Zoe Saldana posted: “Your mother is stunning!!! Always has been.”

And fellow Australian actor Cameron Daddo wrote: “Glowing inside and out… always was, always will be… a beauty.”

Actor and director Rachel Ward at the Sydney Film Festival in 2019. Photo: AAP

The public was also touched by the video of Ward: “Looks like a woman living her best life, with intention, caring about things that matter like the environment, surrounded by her kids and grandbabies. Life goals,” said sonjathelyon.

Matilda thanked people for their kind comments and messages.

“But I want you to know, my mum is completely unscathed by the (negative) comments,” she said.

“She has incredible self worth and her response when reading through them was to laugh and say ‘How funny, I thought I looked great!’ As it should have been.”

England-born Ward is best known for her roles in the mini-series The Thorn Birds (1983), Against All Odds (1984) and Sharky’s Machine (1981).

She married Brown in 1983 and they have three children.

Ward has been using her social media platform to promote regenerative farming, and encourages people to understand where their meat comes from.

Regenerative beef farming is about working with and caring for the land, rather than using harsh industrial processes.