Bettany 'hated tennis after Wimbledon'

Paul Bettany has admitted that he hated learning to play tennis for his role in the film Wimbledon.

The Legion star, who appeared opposite Kirsten Dunst in the 2004 film, has insisted that he refused to play the sport after making the movie because it made him dislike it.

Speaking to FHM, the actor said: "Nothing was harder than learning to play tennis. I play a little bit now, but I hated it by the end of the movie and didn't play for years."

Bettany, who plays an avenging angel in Legion, also revealed that despite always wanting to star in an action movie, he only accepted the role because he was impressed by director Scott Stewart's shoes.

He added: "The director gave me an impressive visual presentation, but he had on a pair of Paul Smith brogues which were incredibly tasteful and I thought, 'There's the man for the job'.