Actor Max Irons infuriated his agent by turning down a lucrative role in a blockbuster franchise because he had already appeared in two teen-focused movies.

The Brit, whose father is actor Jeremy Irons, got his big break starring opposite Amanda Seyfried in 2011's Red Riding Hood, a fantasy film by Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke.

He then played the romantic lead in the film version of Stephenie Meyer's novel The Host, but he subsequently turned down a big money role in a major franchise to avoid being typecast - much to the chagrin of his agent.

He tells Britain's The Times newspaper, "I was asked to audition for another franchise recently. It was a very similar role to ones I've played before, and I said to my agent: 'I can't do this.' And they said: 'Don't get all precious now, because this one will boost you right to the top of the pecking order and there'll be another zero at the end of all your pay cheques.' And I said, 'The problem is, if I were to do it, I would want to quit.' It's just not fulfilling'."

Irons is currently shooting Posh, the big screen adaptation of a play about an upper-class boys club at Britain's prestigious Oxford University, and he is convinced choosing thought-provoking roles will ensure career longevity.

He adds, "Something like Posh might actually make a difference to the way people think about things. That's much more exciting. But if you play the six-pack game, there are 100 people behind you who look the same and can do the same, waiting to take your place."