New Moon star Michael Sheen has told of his admiration for co-star Robert Pattinson and said he doesn’t know how he copes with his level of fame.

Michael, 40, makes his debut appearance in the second movie in the Twilight sage as vampire Aro.

Talking of his character, Michael said to MTV News: “I play Aro. For people who aren’t fans of the books, I play one of the Volturi - somebody described it as being like the royal family of vampires, which I guess is a good description.

“He’s very calming on the surface, very gentle and soft on the surface. But beneath, he is a psychopathic killer… He’s a great character, and I had a great time doing it.”

Asked what it’s like to work with Robert Pattinson, Michael said: “I don’t know how he copes with it all. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to deal with it when I was his age.

“He and Kristen are really amazing. They’re fully committed to what they’re doing, and I wish them all the best.”