(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Bradley Cooper lacked confidence when he was growing up because he "looked like a girl" and played the cello.

The actor is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood and has gained a reputation for playing sexy, badly behaved characters. However, Bradley has revealed it took years for him to build up his self-esteem.

"That's a good question," he told GQ when asked why he lacked confidence in his younger years. "Maybe not looking like the rest of my family my mother was Italian and I had blond hair and blue eyes, not brown hair and brown eyes. I was pretty as a child and I felt that wasn't particularly manly and that plagued me for years. I didn't have that rough-and-tumble upbringing. My uncles and cousins were all cops and firemen while I was taking cello lessons.

"I wasn't good looking, but pretty in the wrong ways, in my mind I looked like a girl."

The 36-year-old star has attracted fans all over with world with his toned physique and handsome face.

Bradley agrees it is ironic that after struggling for years with his appearance, he chose a career which demands good looks.

However, he insists that acting requires more than a pretty face.

"Yeah, and that is quite scary because I don't see it that way," he replied when asked about working in an industry which focuses on beauty. "In terms of my relationship to the business and the roles I go after, nothing is based on my looks at all. If I took my shirt off you wouldn't want to photograph it." (C) Cover Media