Jon Hamm has said he could not resist the opportunity to play a good guy when he was approached about the role of a washed-up sports agent in his new film Million Dollar Arm, which has its UK premiere tonight (August 21).

The actor, who shot to fame playing troubled advertising executive Don Draper in the hit US TV show Mad Men, will meet fans on the red carpet in central London.

He plays JB Bernstein in the film, which is based on the true story of how he set up a talent contest in India to find young cricketers who could be converted into star baseball pitchers.

In an interview with Black Tree TV, Hamm said he had never heard the story until he was approached about the film.

He said: " I immediately started looking up online all of this stuff about it and I was, like, I can't believe this is actually true, if this is actually true, it's amazing and it was.

"I t was an exciting opportunity to get to play someone who is at the core a little bit better than most."

The film, which also stars veteran actor Alan Arkin, has its UK premiere at the May Fair Hotel.