Michael Fassbender wants to take his mother on a date to the Oscars.

The Shame actor - who is widely tipped to be nominated for an Academy Award following a blockbuster year of movies including A Dangerous Method, X-Men: First Class, and Haywire - has his parents to thank for him being able to earn a living prior to making it big, and he would like to take his mum down the red carpet at the event.

"It took me a while to come to grips with how expensive London was. My parents helped me out, but we never had a lot of money. [An Oscar Nomination] would just be a bonus, but of course I would take my mum down the red carpet."

Discussing his role in Shame, the Irish/German star admits he was "worried" about the gravity of playing a man who was dealing with an addiction to sex: "I was a bit worried that I'd perhaps bitten off more than I could chew. But I'm always interested in trying to investigate different personalities. I want to keep myself guessing and keep the fear element alive so that I don't get too comfortable."