Rhys Ifans credits school play with The Lizard role

Welsh actor Rhys Ifans has urged drama students not to take odd role playing exercises for granted, revealing he was once asked to play a lizard during an acting class - and now he is one on the big screen.

The Notting Hill star portrays Dr. Curt Connors, who becomes comic book villain The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, and he admits that if he hadn't been taught how to become a reptile he would not have known where to start.

He tells WENN he had to use his imagination for some of the green screen scenes in the film - but his early acting lessons, which he thought were odd at the time, really helped him jump into character.

He says, "I went to drama school in Australia and I remember in one class the tutor said, 'OK, you're a piece of bacon frying in a pan and portray that physically.' I'm thinking, 'F**k, when am I ever gonna play a piece of bacon?' The next day they're like, 'OK, right you're a lizard...' and f**king lo and behold, here we are!

"I tell that to any drama student - if they tell you to be a tree, be a f**king, tree because you never know!"