Your fans complained that the previous X-Men film turned softer. What is in store this time around?
It’s true that by X-Men 3, the character was getting a little softer. So here we’ve made him a little darker, a little edgier and - if you’ll forgive the American expression - more bad ass.

How does it feel to be a producer of a big-budget film?
It’s fantastic; it feels like an amazing honour really. As the X-Men series has progressed, I have found Fox to be amazing partners. I haven’t done a lot of films. I’ve only acted in maybe 15 films, but I’ve been a very keen observer of the process and maybe I’m my father’s son. He was an accountant so I have always been very interested in the business side of the movies, so that’s something that I’m drawn to naturally, the machinations of how you get all these creative people to come together at once. There are other experienced producers who were involved on all the X-Men movies, like Ralph Winter, Lauren Shuler Donner and Dick Donner, who of course have done so many movies. To have their guidance was just invaluable. I really enjoyed it. The film is very personal to me. The main reason I wanted to become a producer was to protect the character of Wolverine and the tone of movie, and make sure we did as much justice as we could to his origins.

X Men was the first Marvel Comic book to be adapted into a movie. How is it to be associated with one of the most profitable and durable franchises?
X-Men is my baby. It made me who I am today. There is a lot of interesting content in the comic book and a whole lot of aspects that can be further explored in films. I am glad to be associated with this franchise.

How was it hosting the Oscars this time?
I had the time of my life! It was a wonderful experience, simply fantastic. And I think everyone really enjoyed the whole act with Beyonce.

Are you nervous about the film’s release?
Every actor is nervous about how audiences will receive the film - no matter how confident you are about it. The expectations from this film are very high and this time, I had more at stake - being the actor as well as a producer of the film. The scale and ambition are phenomenal. We wanted to exceed expectations in every way. We couldn’t just make a very good movie; it had to be much more than that.

An unfinished print of the movie was leaked online. Will that in any way damage the box-office returns?
It’s a serious crime and there’s no doubt it was very disappointing. I was heartbroken. But I’m a pretty positive a person and after a day or two of being pretty down about it, I realised that these sort of movies are made for the big screen and they’ve been long awaited by the fans. I think even those who downloaded it will come and see it on the big screen. I’d rather start feeling good about the whole thing, since it just means the movie itself is big and eagerly awaited.

How do you prepare for a role, mentally and physically?
Every role is unique and requires a different approach.For Wolverine, I undertook a rigorous workout and a solid diet regime to attain the kind of body that Wolverine would be having. Every morning, I would get into a cold, cold shower to get into the Wolverine frame of mind.

What was your diet and exercise routine like?
I spent a lot of time preparing for the role, working with Scott, my trainer who is a natural bodybuilding champion. I say natural because obviously I was only interested in doing this naturally. So I wanted to find out how to get into the most insane shape of my life, while still being able to do stunts. And this guy was fantastic. He would say to me, ‘Okay, here is your diet’. The diet was insane (Laughs). I woke up at 4 am and ate egg-whites with no salt because he said, ‘Salt will puff you up.’ Then he joked, ‘You’re going to love this meal because you get a dry piece of wholemeal toast. That’s the only bread and carbs you get all day, so enjoy it.’

So I had to look forward to waking up and having my dry toast and egg- whites. Then I would go back to bed and I had to get up at six and have a full meal. That’s the way it went for the rest of the day, eating the exact amount of calories, a lot of fish and chicken and vegetables - six to eight chicken breasts a day. I really enjoyed eating pizza and the half-a- dozen beers that I had on the final day of shooting.

As for the workouts, I ran and had to lift very heavy weights. While I was working out it was interesting. I would mentally think I was the character Wolverine because that’s what it would take to do that kind of physical work. Every morning you get up and there’s a part of you that just wants to collapse but you just have to keep going. When I’m training, I’m fairly obnoxious; I really make a big thing of it and there is a lot of noise. I just worked out for an hour though; it’s the intensity that is important. I put on ten to fifteen pounds of muscle.

What are the locations in which the film has been shot?
Major portions of the film have been shot in New Zealand and Australia, with a few key sequences in Vancouver. My desire to be challenged for this film included finding a new home for the production. While honoring the style of the previous X-Men films, I wanted this one to look bigger and different. We were very lucky to have access to the countries’ resources and amazing exteriors.

Powerful emotional conflicts have been hallmarks of the X- Men films. Do we get to see it now as well?
Yes, very much. Here we take the audience back in time as we discover who this iconic mutant really is, what has shaped his personality and what lies behind the rage that threatens to overpower him. It is a fascinating story that unites Wolverine with other legendary mutants as they confront powerful forces. During the course of the movie, audiences will see his evolution as a character and discover that he’s found some kind of contentment in his life, perhaps for the first time ever. He’s in love with a girl. He’s living a fairly regular life a million miles away from anything in Alberta, Canada. He’s a lumberjack and he’s just happy chopping down trees, doing his job, going home to his girlfriend and living a very simple life. But it’s fairly clear that underneath the surface, there is this battle going on between the human side and the animal side of him. That is the part of the story that I love because we all battle with that. We all have control, we have discipline, we have rules and laws, and we have to live in a certain way. But I think there’s a part of us that just wants chaos and anarchy. Wolverine is like that; he is battling that every single day of his life. It is that gladiator spirit.

There are also talks of a Wolverine sequel. How true is that?
It will depend on whether there’s an audience for it, because I’m not interested in flogging a dead horse. We’re talking to writers at the moment. There’s a particular story in the comic book that’s set in Japan, which is amazing. That’s exciting to me, but we’ll have to see.

Which of the X-Men films did you most enjoy being a part of?
I had more fun playing Wolverine in this film than ever before. But I love this character and I’m proud of every X-Men film. They are undoubtedly the foundations of my career. Many doors opened for me as a result of playing Wolverine. With him, I am never worried about being typecast. I think he is a great screen hero.

You were voted The Sexiest Man Alive last year. Comment.
Well…The first thing Debs (my wife) said was, ‘I knew it, I knew I’d married the sexiest man alive!’. God bless her, she said, ‘I could’ve told them that years ago!’ And then she said, “Obviously, Brad wasn’t available this year.” And I said, “That was a joke, right?”

And then one of the e-mails I received, said ‘You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and they give it to you? This is a travesty of justice. Give it back immediately. Love, Dad.’

How do you think is the film going to fare in India?
India represents an important audience base for movies, particularly for action films. The response out here to the earlier X-Men films has also been very encouraging. I am sure the audiences will love this film too. I believe they are also dubbing the film in local languages.

Any plans to visit India?
Of course! My wife and I are in love with India and we can’t wait to visit the beautiful land. We’ve heard a lot about the culture, the food, the street life, it all sounds so amazing!

Have you got any offers from Bollywood?
Yes I have, although things didn’t work out then. But I would love to be a part of a good Bollywood musical sometime in the future!