I wasn't a huge fan of the comic book, but I definitely was of the cartoon series. I wasn't much for sitting around and reading as a kid, I preferred to be outside running around and playing sports, but I was absolutely thrilled to get the role of Colossus. I don't think I realised how popular the character was until I got the role and started doing some research; it was then that I really fell in love with the character of Colossus myself.

It's tough, you know, when you're thin and you don't put on muscle mass that easily. What you've got to remember is that you really have to eat a lot and you have to work your body out with basic exercises like deadlifts and squats and the bench press - the workouts that are basic in form but work a large group of muscles.

I really tried to work out hard to emulate the look and feel of the character, and did my best to represent the great artists that created him. At the same time, as an actor you have to find what you relate to in the character and make it your own, and hopefully people respond to it.

Think of how many mistakes you made at 22 years old. Like, I made a million.

I seem to be able to just sort of sink and slide under the radar, which is nice.

When things could've gone really bad, rugby caught my interest and I really stuck with it. The sport brought me, maybe off the streets where we'd be fighting, into putting in a good effort in the rugby field where you're kind of rewarded for that rough behaviour instead of in trouble with the law.

If you talk to any actor, they'll tell you that working is the best thing.