Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Colin Firth: Acting like a man, fighting like a girl Newsweek Nov. 22 issue - Q&A: Colin Firth He's got the girl, but can he keep her? Does he want to? Colin Firth is back as the surly but smoldering Mark Darcy in "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Nicki Gostin about the perils of being dreamy.

Can you believe you're in a sequel? 
We're denying that. There was already a second book, so we're calling it a literary adaptation. We don't know what you're talking about. 

You have a few scenes with Hugh Grant where you both sort of fight like girls. 
Very disappointing to hear you say that. Years of military training went into what you see there. The truth is, we decided there was more comedy in being utterly real about how two middle-aged men in suits would fight. Very high in hormones, very low in ability. 

I thought you were going to say you were accustomed to fighting like a girl. 
That is what I'm saying. The last time I actually had a fight, I was 7 years old—and I did fight exactly like that. 

What was the fight about? 
I believe somebody pulled my ears because I kicked his ball away. 

Does the whole cult of Darcy embarrass you? Do girls send you their undies? 
No, I'm afraid the feedback I get is depressingly proper. And I've lived with it too long for it to be embarrassing. 

How does your wife deal with it? 
It hit within weeks of us being together, so I think she felt she got a slightly fraudulent package. 

But by then you'd locked her up. 
Quite, and made sure bridges were burned. 

Hugh Grant seems like he takes the p—s out of everyone. You included?  Relentlessly. It's an occupational hazard of working with him. I gave back a bit, though. 
Did you pull his ears? 
There was some of that. If you get physical with him, his proclivity for whining is as present as his razor wit.