Irish actor Colin Farrell is suing former girlfriend and ex-playmate Nicole Narian in a bid to prevent her from selling a sex tape of the two.

Farrell, 29, asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to slap a restraining order on nude model Narain to prevent the sale and distribution of the tape. The Irish star of such movies as "Alexander" and "Minority Report" also sought unspecified damages and claimed that the tape would irreparably harm his reputation and career.

The 15-minute tape was made in early 2003 and according to the lawsuit shows the couple "in various acts of copulation". Farrell claims the tape was made for private enjoyment with an agreement that it would never be publicly released.

The legal action also named Paul Nash of Internet Commerce Group - an online pornography company - as a defendant in the case.

The case said the defendants' "outrageous attempt to capitalise on the celebrity of Colin Farrell ... exceeds all bounds of common human decency".