I've always wanted to play a spy, because it is the ultimate acting exercise. You are never what you seem.

I've always wanted to play a spy, because it is the ultimate acting exercise. You are never what you seem.

I want to do it all. I want to climb mountains, go through jungles, fight wars in space, get the girl, shoot the bad-guy full of lead, have all the zippy one liners, bulge muscles out of a singlet, drip sweat and blood on screen, all of that.

The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.

I've been very lucky at what's happened in my career to date, but playing something as far from me as possible is an ambition of mine - anything from a mutated baddy in a comic book action thriller, to a detective. If anything, I'd like Gary Oldman's career: he's the perfect example of it. I've love to have a really broad sweep of characters - to be able to do something edgy, surprising and unfashionable.

I had the privilege of being able to choose, or at least have the opportunity to work at, being anything but an actor.