Matt Smith learned lady lessons in gay drama

Matt Smith discovered "the true agony of being a woman" when he had to kiss a man in a new drama.

The 28-year-old actor - who plays gay novelist Christopher Isherwood in new BBC Two biopic 'Christopher And His Kind' - admitted the experience made him realise how awful it is for women to have to kiss men with stubble.

He joked: "It taught me a lot. For a start, the script required me to kiss a man who hadn't shaved, so I finally understood the true agony for a woman of stubble rash. It's a very justified complaint from womankind because it really gets you very red and itchy."

However, Matt admitted part of the draw of the new show was to distance himself from his role in 'Doctor Who' and show he could be "gung-ho" about adapting to more risqué parts.

Matt added to the Daily Mail newspaper: "I want to pop up in other dramas from time to time so I'm not just associated with the Doctor. I'd finished the 'Doctor Who' series and I wanted to do something else before the next one started. I loved the script, I loved Isherwood's story and I loved the fact that he was as far removed from the real me as could be.

"So when I saw that I'd have to be naked and kiss some guys, I was very committed and gung-ho about it. And that's another lesson I learned when it came to filming. There's a world of difference being naked in a love scene with another man, rather than a woman. But I tried to go for it wholeheartedly and it was an interesting experience."