Acting knight SIR Anthony Hopkins has always shied away from on-screen sex scenes, because he's painfully self-conscious.

The 65-year-old strips for a rare romp with Nicole Kidman in new movie HUMAN STAIN - but he insists he has always been reluctant to take on such roles, because of his shyness around women and insecurities about his appearance.

He says, "It's a strange area, I've always been rather shy around women.

"I've worked with women actors and enjoyed it, but I've never been confident. If I looked like BRAD PITT I would be, but I'm not."

29/08/2003 13:24