If you’ve ever been to Switzerland you’ll know there are few places on earth that can match its startling mix of landscapes squeezed into such a compact and accessible space – it’s around a tenth the size of California.

From the snow-capped Alpine mountains topped by the incredible Matterhorn (best accessed from the luxe ski town of Zermatt via the jaw-dropping Gotthard Bahn train line) to the postcard perfect grass-carpeted valleys dotted with vast turquoise lakes and frozen-in-time wooden cottages all soundtracked by the soft tinkling of a million cowbells, it’s a natural paradise and one of the most photogenic places in the world.

But if that’s not enough to have already compelled you to visit then the Swiss Tourist Board is going the extra mile to inspire you, hiring the big guns and pouncing on the country’s natural beauty as a source of contention in a comedy-gold pairing of Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer and Hollywood icon Robert De Niro.

With Federer in Zermatt, casually swinging his tennis racket around and admiring those magnificent Matterhorn views, and De Niro in his native New York admiring his own high-rise views as he pads his apartment in cardigan and bright blue boardshorts, the two chat over the phone about Federer’s offer for De Niro to appear in a promotional video for his native country. All very meta, then.

But De Niro’s not happy. A far cry from the urban jungles and edgy roles he’s used to, De Niro complains "Look at where you are — your mountains, your ski resorts, your charming little towns… There's no drama, no drama at all… I need an edge, conflict, jeopardy!"

A bemused Federer shoots back some options to add that missing drama, “How about the two of us on a special mission? We ski together… we even go skydiving…”

But it’s not happening and De Niro remains unconvinced because the country is just too perfect and the people too nice for an actor who has built his reputation in roles playing someone not so nice. With Federer dejected and De Niro uncompromising, the actor suggests he contact another Hollywood legend to see if he may be a better fit for the role…“Maybe call Hanks.”