Dressed casually in a black biker jacket and jeans with cropped hair and coppery stubble, Fassbender is tall, tightly sprung and looks like he could take care of himself.

But he’s also quietly spoken and articulate, carefully considering each question before answering in the lilting accent that doesn’t get many outings among the RP and American roles. And increasingly rare in Hollywood, he’s got a sense of humour and self-awareness.

Even though everything looks rosy right now, as a pragmatic actor who learnt all the cocktail recipes he might need if he had to fall back on bartending, he’s keen to continue learning to stay ahead of the pack. “You just try and be as sponge-like as possible and try and soak up as much information as you can…”