British actor Colin Firth was recently in Beijing to promote his film Kingsman: The Secret Service. Jiang Dong / China Daily

When British actor Colin Firth was 2 years old, the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, was released and moviegoers around the world became instantly enamored with the fictional spy.

About half a century on, Firth, now a multiple-award-winning actor, is making his action film debut, Kingsman: The Secret Service, paying tribute to his childhood fascination with the original superspy.

The comedy-action movie, directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on a graphic novel, was released across the Chinese mainland on March 27.

Famous for being a suave gentleman thanks to roles such as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Firth reveals that this is the first time he has played a superhero. The actor was recently in Beijing to promote the film.

"It's my first time in China. When my family and relatives heard that I would go to China, they all envied me," says Firth, who is also popular among Chinese movie fans for his role as King George VI in the Academy Award best picture winner, The King's Speech.