It's difficult to translate words from book to screen, says Irish actor Liam Cunningham, praising David Benioff and DB Weiss for adapting complex novels into hit series, be it "Game of Thrones" or their new show "3 Body Problem".

Like "Game of Thrones", which was adapted from George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga, "3 Body Problem" is based on a multilayered source material in Chinese author Liu Cixin's trilogy.

The eight-episode series, currently streaming on Netflix, is developed by Benioff and Weiss in collaboration with Alexander Woo.

"A lot of the time, the most enjoyable stuff is the most difficult stuff to do. And they have form, especially David and Dan. When they made 'Game of Thrones', George R R Martin, a very successful screenwriter, wrote the books to be unfilmable...

"It's the same sort of deal with '3 Body Problem'. (It is) incredibly difficult to transpose it from words into the visual and drama situation. So, you're not making things easy for yourself by taking on a project like that," Cunningham told PTI in an interview.

The actor, who essayed the role of Davos Seaworth in "Game of Thrones", said it was an honour for him to join the world of "3 Body Problem".

"It's wonderful to get involved in something like that where you sail close to the wind. There's a big possibility of failure because you take on such a difficult project. So when you can pull it off and make it something beautiful, enjoyable and hugely interesting to watch, then there's a huge amount of satisfaction," said the 62-year-old actor.

"3 Body Problem" begins with a young scientist's decision to contact an alien civilisation during 1960s China, a moment that echoes across space and time. And many years later, a group of scientists come together to tackle humanity's greatest threat.

In the series, Cunningham plays Thomas Wade, the enigmatic and charismatic leader of an elite intelligence agency in charge of the planetary defence.

He features in the show alongside a star-studded cast that also includes "Doctor Strange" star Benedict Wong.

Cunningham quipped, it was "love at first sight" for him when he started working with Wong.

"This man is a fantastic human being. He's a wonderful actor. He's incredibly easy to work with. It's a joy. We laughed every day when we were filming. And we put the work in. We're kind of old school.

"The repetition and the digging of a scene makes it enjoyable, treating it like tennis, that you knock the ball back and you get the ball back. He'll stretch you, and I do my best to stretch him, artistically," he added.

"3 Body Problem" also features Sea Shimooka, Eiza Gonzalez, Jonathan Pryce, Tsai Chin, John Bradley, Jess Hong and Jovan Adepo.

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