Miles Teller never wanted to be an actor.
The 29-year-old star is among the most in-demand performers in Hollywood, but has admitted he did not aspire to be an actor during his youth and actually fell into the business by accident.
The ‘Whiplash’ star said: "I wasn’t somebody who wanted to be an actor.
"I just did some satirical bits for the school TV channel and I joined drama club at the end of my sophomore year. My friends were sarcastic. ‘Oh. You’re in drama now. That’s cool, man.’
"They never came to any of my plays or anything. Now they always want to come on set. Especially if I’m working with a pretty girl."
In his latest on-screen role, Miles plays the part of former world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza in ‘Bleed for This’, and the actor admitted he was initially too shy to discuss the role with the ex-fighter.
He told the Irish Times newspaper: "When I was prepping for it, I didn’t really talk to Vinny at all. I just felt very sheepish. I was so far away from playing a five-time champion boxer at the time the script came to me.
"I didn’t want him to see me boxing. I didn’t want him to see the shape I was in. Oh my God. What would he have thought? Probably that ‘this guys going to bury my reputation’.
"So I watched a lot of video. Mostly I listened, rather than watched. I listened to hours and hours of him. Just studying his voice. I didn’t want to associate that with mannerisms."
But Miles – whose film charts Vinny’s comeback from a spinal injury – did eventually get round to talking to the retired sportsman.
He shared: "I didn’t actually meet Vinny until we flew to Rhode Island to shoot. I was really nervous. I had such a tremendous amount of respect for him at that point.
"Here’s a guy who has every doctor, every authority, tell him that something is impossible. And he does it anyway.
"They say never meet your idols. Maybe that’s true. Unless they’re Vinny. He won’t let you down."
Miles Teller: I never wanted to be an actor
