Colin Firth tells "brilliant" bedtime stories, his wife Livia has revealed.

The actor's spouse praised him for being a wonderful father and said the couple's children are often left mesmerised by his tales.

The Italian film producer and her Hollywood star husband have been married for 15 years and have two sons together, Luca, ten, and Matteo, eight.

"He is an amazing father," Livia gushed in an interview with British magazine Red.

"The bedtime stories he tells the kids are so brilliant. He just makes them up, and they're completely hooked. I don't know how he does it."

The brunette beauty also commended Colin's recycling skills.

Livia is well known for her campaign work in the environmental sector and is the creative director of Eco Age, a green retail concept.

She credited the Oscar-winning actor with teaching her how to dispose of rubbish in an environmentally friendly way.

"He's always cycling around London and he taught me how to recycle properly. Having lived in Canada, where they're very strict about such things, he was light years ahead of us here," she revealed.

"So he can recycle like a demon, but he still leaves lights on."