Sebastian Stan suffered swollen fingers learning how to drum for Pam & Tommy

Sebastian Stan's fingers swelled up when he tried to learn how to drum like Tommy Lee for upcoming series Pam & Tommy.

The limited series depicts the marriage between Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson and the Motley Crue drummer amid the release of their infamous sex tape in the '90s.

To prepare for the role, the Avengers star watched interviews of Lee on YouTube, read his autobiography, and spent months learning how to play the drums and twirl drumsticks like the rocker.

"It's not easy to do," he admitted to Variety. "My fingers were swollen for a good week and a half. I kept hitting myself in the head with it."

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor also went on a fast to slim down to the musician's physique and reached out to the musician himself.

"He seemed touched and appreciative that I took the time to even reach out and connect," he said, declining to give details about their conversations.

Stan also revealed he was surprised when his I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie approached him about playing Lee.

"I don't have a single tattoo on my body," he commented. "So I was like, 'What exactly is making you think that I can play this man?' But I was intrigued enough to want to see why he was calling. When you're playing somebody who's from real life, the story is there; you're a journalist at that point. You're really researching all you can and trying to understand as best as you can."

During filming, Stan had to apply replicas of Lee's extensive tattoo collection every few days and wear prosthetic nipple rings in order to physically resemble the rocker.

Pam & Tommy, also starring Lily James as Anderson, begins on 2 February.