 THINK of Colin Firth and you automatically conjure up an image of tight breeches and a dripping wet shirt. Ever since his unforgettably dashing portrayal of Mr Darcy in the TV adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, Pride And Prejudice - including that lakeside scene - Firth has become synonymous with "brooding, romantic hero". But according to the star, his real character couldn't be more different. He admits he's dark, but not in the brooding sense. "I'm fascinated by dark dreams, by the gloomy side of life," he says with an uneasy smile. "When it comes to music or literature, I'm definitely drawn to the dark stuff." In fact the star says he'd much rather ditch the romantic leads for a bit of horror, and reckons his new film, a Hitchcockian thriller called Trauma is closer to the real Colin Firth than any of his previous roles. "It sounds a bit cheesy, but making Trauma did feel like a homecoming to me," he reveals. "I've really enjoyed stuff that's happened over the last few years but it was hard to find anyone who would put me in anything like Trauma and I had a real hankering for that sort of material. "When I was on the set, I thought I could really spend my life doing this sort of stuff. And when I saw it too, I felt I just wanted to do films like this." Yet, somehow you get the feeling this might not happen. After all this is the man who single handedly made Jane Austen sexy and defined romance in hit films such as Love Actually, Girl With A Pearl Earring and Bridget Jones's Diary. Those roles have helped him, not only to become one of Britain's most successful leading men, but also one of its sexiest. However, it's not an image that sits comfortably with the Hampshire-born star, who has just turned 44. "It's utterly bizarre to hear people discussing me in sexual terms. It's not something I'm used to," he says looking horribly embarrassed. "I'm just glad I didn't achieve my so-called status until I was 35. The truth is, before I met my wife, I only had two girlfriends. "When I met her parents, who live in Italy, I jokingly mentioned that I was something of a sex god in England and they burst out laughing," he says, laughing himself. Sex symbol or not, Firth clearly only has eyes for one woman, his stunning wife, Italian documentary-maker Livia Giuggioli. | 
