Michael Shannon cannot watch Terence Stamp's performance of General Zod in 'Superman II'.

The 37-year-old star is reprising the character in forthcoming Superman movie 'Man of Steel' - starring Henry Cavill as the titular hero - and he admits he is particularly intimidated by the film.

He said: ''I find that pretty intimidating, honestly. I think he pretty much nailed it. My girlfriend had it on. She was watching it out of curiosity and I saw it and said, 'You've got to turn it off. I can't watch that. I'm not worthy'.''

Previous performances are not the only problem he has with the film - he is also embarrassed by the motion-capture suit he has to wear.

He said: ''It's kind of embarrassing. It's nothing I would wear under normal circumstances!''

Despite the success he has found recently, Michael is unwilling to be too ''proud'' of his work.

He added: ''I don't see what more could be happening. Put it that way. Unless I receive a medial from the president.

''But you're always reluctant to get too proud of your accomplishments in this business. It can all go south in the blink of an eye.''