Ireland’s Hollywood hottie ‘can’t believe he’s a star’

A-lister Michael Fassbender may have been catapulted into the limelight as one of Hollywood’s hottest young actors but he reveals he is rarely recognised on the street.

The former bartender, who features of the cover of next month’s Irish Tatler Man, has taken a year out from the spotlight after filming six movies back-to-back.

The 34-year-old has told how he has spent the last few months on a road trip through Europe with his dad and his best friend, Emerson Johnson, where he managed to remain anonymous, despite becoming one of the most sought-after leading men in Tinseltown.

“I’ve been on the road for the past two months and walking down the street and nobody really seems to know me and that’s great,” he said.

In the Tatler interview, he revealed he is glad he shot to fame in his 30s because he isn’t impressed by the trappings of fame.

“I don’t have a strategy for dealing with fame because none of it really interests me. Ten years ago I would have been seduced and attracted to all the things that come with fame but it doesn’t interest me at all anymore,” he said.

The hunky star, who has regularly stripped for his roles, also revealed he is still single but he isn’t looking for a stereotypical size-six starlet on a diet.

“I find women attractive in all shapes and sizes and although it is a cliché what’s attractive is someone who’s confident and doesn’t mind showing elements of themselves that society might consider weak or making a fool of themselves.

“Eating what you like to eat — that’s much more attractive. It’s a prison to be constantly worrying about what other people think of you.”

He has told how he has spent the last few months on a road trip through Europe with his German dad and his closest childhood friend, Emerson Johnson.

“The trip was really important to me because I haven’t had any time to spend with my friends over the past two years.”

The down-to-earth actor said he believes he is a potent mix of Irish and German in his personality.

“The Germans have a good work ethic so I have inherited some of that. Then Ireland, for such a small nation, we really love the arts and storytelling and there is a great mix of the two in me.”

The former bartender, who pulled pints for a living while taking on the odd role until recently, says he still can’t believe he is a movie star.

“When I was working behind the bar and doing any sort of odd jobs, the idea that I could actually making a living from this was like a dream. To be in a position to be working with all the big names that I have like Tarantino, Cronenberg, Soderbergh, Jarmusch, it’s kind of unreal.”