Shia LaBeouf has joked he won a role in The Nymphomaniac by sending a homemade sex tape to a director.

The actor laughed off US chat show host Chelsea Handler's questions regarding the reported live sex scenes he will film in Lars von Trier's upcoming movie.

When quizzed on how he landed the role, the 26-year-old replied with a suitably shocking answer.

"I sent videotapes to him of me and my girlfriend having sex and that's how I got the job!" Shia quipped during his appearance on TV show Chelsea Lately.

The spirited star hinted that his role in the Danish filmmaker's controversial production is still something of a mystery to him. Shia did promise that viewers will see something original when The Nymphomaniac is released.

"I don't know what it's gonna be I will when I get out there, I know [Lars is] a very dangerous director, I know we're trying to do something different," he explained.

The actor is happy to go to lengths in order to deliver a good performance. Shia previously revealed he sampled real moonshine for his role in bootlegging drama Lawless and he has appeared nude in a music video.