Thursday, September 29 2011, 12:26pm EDT 1

By Justin Harp, Entertainment Reporter

Clive Owen has said that he relished the chance to play For Whom the Bell Tolls writer Ernest Hemingway in an upcoming HBO film.

Hemingway & Gellhorn tells the story of the writer's stormy relationship with wife Martha (Nicole Kidman), set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War.

Owen explained that researching Hemingway's intriguing life story was one of the major perks in signing on for the movie.

"It was fantastic. It was an opportunity to immerse myself in everything. I visited everywhere [he went]," the actor told Parade. "I went to Paris, Cuba. I just loved it and had the most fantastic time. And I obviously had a great time with Nicole Kidman and working with her. And the script was written beautifully."

Owen was also asked whether it was intimidating to play an iconic figure like Hemingway.

He answered: "If you stop to think about it too much, of course, but the script is so good. Just as an actor responding to the material... You're never going to please everybody.

"The minute you say Clive Owen is going to play Hemingway, you've lost some of them. That's just going to happen. I loved the project so much and I had the most fantastic time."

Hemingway & Gellhorn is expected to air next spring on HBO.

Owen previously admitted that he has considered retiring from acting.

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Watch Clive Owen in the Killer Elite trailer below: