The Irish actor is currently starring in 12 Years a Slave, the true story of free man Solomon Northup who was tricked and sold into slavery in 1841.

Michael plays the unsavoury character of Edwin Epps in the movie, which sees a departure from the handsome leading men he usually portrays.

Despite being voted number eight in Empire magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars last year, his sex symbol status is of no importance to Michael.

"I don't see myself as a pin-up. I don't dwell on it. That sort of information isn't good for my own head," he told British magazine GQ.

Michael isn't shy when it comes to nude scenes and has stripped off in a number of roles.

In fact the 36-year-old actor finds people's reservations about nudity funny.

"I mean half the population has one between our legs and the other half has something else. It's weird how there seems to be so much hype around one man's piece of anatomy. It's just finds, really!" he laughed.

Aside from being a Hollywood heartthrob, Michael likes to indulge in his passion for adrenalin-pumping activities.

Explaining in detail the feeling of jumping out of a plane, Michael proves he's a real life action man.

"I've done two jumps [sky dives] but I want to do more. An incredible feeling. And that's the sort of thing that blows my mind about human beings. Someone somewhere first had that idea. To jump out of a plane and free fall. Of course you have to pull the parachute eventually and that's the bit that freaks me out.

"When you suddenly slow down and you can see how high you are. You can see the curvature of the earth. Applying the brakes suddenly makes you more aware of your own mortality. Before this everything is just a rush of brown and greens as you scream towards the planet through space," he explained.