Scarlett Johansson costars with neurofibromatosis sufferer for Channel 4 film

Adam Pearson never planned for a life in film, but that didn't stop him from applying - largely as a joke - to an email looking for volunteers to star opposite of Scarlett Johansson in the series "Beauty And the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice."

Pearson, 26, not only co-starred with the sought-after actress, but did so in a nude scene, which, he tells the Daily Mail, was more uncomfortable for her than him.

"I'm totally comfortable in my own skin," he said. "The worst part was that I was bloody cold."

Pearson suffers from neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue. In 2010, he started out with Betty, the production company behind the show.

In the Channel 4 series designed to explore society's fixation with physical perfection, Pearson represents a kind of kryptonite for Johansson, who plays the role of an alien who drives around Scotland in a van taking advantage of men - until she meets Pearson.

"When people see a beautiful actress next to someone who is facially disfigured, they think he must be the bad guy," he said. "But in this film, I'm the victim. It's an interesting twist. And my vulnerability shows her something about humanity that changes her."

He added: "In the end, the nude scene was a bigger deal for her than it was for me."

"Under The Skin" was directed by Jonathan Glazer, the same person who directed "Sexy Beast," and is based on Michael Faber's novel.