Actor Jake Gyllenhaal says he wants to be taken a little less seriously as an actor, and would love to see his new film the Prince of Persia become a successful franchise.

Gyllenhaal explains:

"I think about kids saying 'you're the Prince of Persia!' That I wouldn't mind being locked into," he said.

Gyllenhaal, who shot to fame in indie hit Donnie Darko, said he wants to be taken "a little less seriously" as an actor.

"I wanted to fulfil the dreams of those movies I loved watching, like Robin Hood with Errol Flynn," he added of his new swashbuckling role.

"Who knows in two or three years time what other weird thing I'll do?" said the star.

Mike Newell, who directed Prince of Persia, admitted that he was initially unsure about Gyllenhaal in the role of an action hero.

But the UK film-maker added that the actor "worked his arse off" to make it work, including intensive physical training and cultivating a British accent. READ MORE