Sex symbol? No, the truth is I'm just a DIY geek, says Richard Armitage

By Tim Oglethorpe for MailOnline
Updated: 01:46 BST, 7 May 2010

Richard Armitage has brooding good looks, a 発言する／表明する like velvet and a string of TV 役割s behind him as a clean-削減（する） hero.

He was 厳しい mill-owner John Thornton in the BBC's North And South, handsome Harry Kennedy in T he Vicar Of Dibley, Guy Of Gisborne in コマドリ Hood and, most recently, 秘かに調査する Lucas North in Spooks.

Now he is 反逆者／反逆する SAS 兵士 John Porter in Sky One's new six-part 演劇 Strike 支援する.

兵士 of fortune: Richard Armitage as John Porter and Orla Brady as Katie Dartmouth in Strike 支援する

There's lots of derring-do, and the chance to 涙／ほころび off his shirt at every 適切な時期. No wonder he's built up a fan base of adoring women.

But he's bewildered at his attraction. 'I'm just a geek,' he 抗議するs.

'My idea of a 熱烈な 週末 is doing DIY. I'm pretty handy with a screwdriver. But is that sexy? I don't think so!'

His character in Strike 支援する, which is based on the best-selling 調書をとる／予約する by former SAS 兵士 Chris Ryan, doesn't やめる 勝利，勝つ wars singlehandedly - but has a good を刺す at it. In next week's episode, we see John Porter travel to Zimbabwe to spring an 暗殺者 from a high-安全 刑務所，拘置所 and 密輸する him across the 国境 into South Africa.

Richard says: 'Porter has guts and he is 用意が出来ている to make 裁判／判断s based on a moral code - and to put his life on the line if he thinks he needs to. I don't want him to be perceived as this one-dimensional 殺人，大当り machine with no humanity.'

So does he think his hunky SAS hero will 始める，決める hearts ぱたぱたするing? Looking baffled, Richard says: 'I cannot think how someone willing to die for their country would be a person who you would want to put a picture of on your bedroom 塀で囲む.

'You admire someone like that for their bravery, but not for their attractiveness. Strike 支援する is about war, and I don't think war is something to glamorise.'

Richard 設立する stardom with his 2004 North And South 業績／成果. Within hours of his first 外見, the programme's website 衝突，墜落d. When the BBC was 軍隊d to shut the board 負かす／撃墜する, fans 始める，決める up their own website, with the resultant 20 million 攻撃する，衝突するs - and climbing. 'It's flattering, but scary,' says Richard. 'I don't know how to 対処する with it.

One woman sent me a pink 一面に覆う／毛布. And someone made a model of me as Guy of Gisborne.'

He's 現在／一般に filming the ninth 一連の Spooks and Hollywood is also on his 協議事項.

His first film 役割 was as an 無名の 闘士，戦闘機 操縦する in 星／主役にする Wars: The Ph antom Menace - during which he chatted up who he thought was the 星／主役にする, Natalie Portman, only to discover that the girl was 現実に her stand-in, a then unknown actress called Keira Knightley. It was a sticky 状況／情勢.

But Richard bravely talked his way out of the 当惑. 'Although when you compare it to the courage shown by real 兵士s, I'm not sure the word bravery should come into it,' he laughs.?

• Strike 支援する is on Sky 1 on Wednesdays at 9pm