Luke Evans finds it ''very weird'' being recognised in public.

The 34-year-old actor - who has starred in numerous West End productions - plays Bard the Bowman in 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' and after hitting the big screen opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and Evangeline Lilly his fan base is growing.

He told collider.com: ''It was very weird because for a long a time no one really recognised me from my films, but 'The Hobbit' has totally changed that and I've had some really special moments, especially with youngsters.''

Evans was spotted by some young fans when he was out with his grandparents and recalled their excitement when they met him.

He explained: ''I took my grandparents to this mine in South Whales a couple of months ago ... After the tour we went to the cafe and then we left the cafe and the little girls mum came running out. She says, 'Look, I hope you don't mind, but my daughter thinks you're the character from 'The Hobbit' and I know you're not, but would you just pretend that you are for a second, because she's obsessed and she thinks it's you and she followed you into this cafe.' And I was like, 'I am Bard the Bowman,' and she couldn't believe it.

''She went, 'Please come and meet my daughter.' So I went back into this cafe and this little kid, she couldn't quite believe it, but she said, 'I told you it was him! I knew it was him!' Stories like that are really special and really nice.''