Charlie Hunnam says he is all prepared to play the hottest guy in literature - billionaire Christian Grey - in the motion picture adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey," the erotic novel written by E.L. James that topped bestseller lists in the U.S. and in the U.K.  

Hunnam seems to be prepared for the explicit scenes required in the film, joking that "I spent a lifetime preparing myself for that," he told E! News.

In another interview, Hunnam explained that he is no stranger to sexual roles, noting that he had already portrayed several roles of this nature before. 

"You know what, I had such a baptism of fire with regards to sexuality on camera at the beginning of my career," he told the Associated Press.

The Sons of Anarchy star may be referring to the miniseries entitled Queer as Folk, where he played as a homosexual, requiring him to do several explicit scenes. Hunnam credits this "baptism of fire" as the perfect preparation for his Fifty Shades of Grey project, telling AP that "I don't anticipate them being too much of a problem. It's like anything else, just an exciting challenge."

Aside from fan criticisms at Hunnam taking on the role, the 33-year-old actor says he also had a hard time deciding whether to take the role. 

"I didn't do it lightly, you know; I did a lot of research and I did a lot of thinking about it and feel confident that I have a way to bring him to life that'll be fun and exciting and honest," he told E! News.

Hunnam had been offered the role early on, but declined the opportunity because of schedule issues. When producers approached him the second time with a new timeline, he readily accepted. 

Although a bit worried about how the role would affect his 7-year relationship with girlfriend Morgana McNelis, Hunnam says he is confident the project will bring them closer together.

"We have a great relationship and she loves me and wants to be with me and we've been together a long time now, and I think she understands and has come to terms with the fact that there are certain elements of me that she is going to have to share," reports The Los Angeles Times reports. He also said that McNelis, a jewelry designer, is said to be a big fan of the Fifty Shades of Grey series.

The movie is slated for release on July 31, 2014.