Steve McQueen on 'Shame': 'I wanted to see Michael Fassbender naked'

Steve McQueen has said that he was eager to see Michael Fassbender naked.

The Shame director opened up about his motivation for making the movie, joking that he simply was looking for an excuse to see the film's star in the buff.

"I wanted to see Michael naked," McQueen told Collider. "I was like, 'Strip, motherf**ker!'"

He went on to explain the inspiration for the film in earnest.

"It's a situation that people know about, but they see it for the first time and are made aware of it," McQueen said. "It's extraordinarily important, but no-one's speaking about it.

"But, it's not just about sex addiction. It's about addictions, in general, and being in a world where we don't necessarily have self-will."

The film received an NC-17 rating thanks largely to a full-frontal nude scene featuring Fassbender.

The actor previously declared that he is baffled by the decision, saying he is frustrated by the tendency to repress any discussion of sex.

Shame is released on December 2 in the US and January 13, 2012 in the UK.

Watch a trailer for Shame below: