"I'm not an alpha," he insisted to Germany's Cosmopolitan magazine. "OK, if I really want something I'll fight for it. But always with the following motto in mind: treat others as you wish to be treated. I want to delve deep into life and its many facets. That wouldn't be possible as a king!"

Maybe it's his amicable attitude that's helped him become one of the biggest stars in the industry. He takes on the tough part of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in the upcoming, same-titled drama and still can't believe he's made it so far.

"I had to wait a very long time to get a good roll," he admitted. "I never really saw myself as particularly talented. When I was 17 and at theatre school, I suddenly realised where I belong. After that came tonnes of hard work. I didn't receive any recognition until I appeared in Hunger at the age of 31."

Now the work is constantly rolling in for Michael, who has five movies out in 2016 alone. But he doesn't want to plan forward any more than that after a recent tarot card reading in San Francisco.

"Of course it wasn't all positive and now all those worries are swirling around in my mind," he laughed. "Awful! I'm never doing it again. I don't want to know what the future brings."