The Rock was a "weird-looking kid" before becoming the heartthrob he is today.

His rock-hard abs may make women swoon nowadays, but the actor admits to being skinny and awkward as a child. The Rock - whose real name is Dwayne Johnson - recalls being mistaken for a girl at the age of 12.

"Oh man. I was a weird-looking kid," he told UK magazine Empire.

"I was always tall, but I was awkward. By 10, 12 I was really tall, with this big Afro and these really soft features. I was mistaken for a girl all the time. I had this oddly shaped long body that looked like it was trying to break out all over the place. I looked like maybe I was a hermaphrodite."

The 39-year-old star went on to build his muscles as he pursued a career in wrestling, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father. But his dad was unsupportive of the star's decision to enter the family business.

"I told my dad and we had the biggest fight," he said.

"Sometimes I'd rather get punched in the face than hear angry word coming from a loved one. I can take that better, but my dad's words were so piercing. I was in a pretty sensitive place and he said, I don't think you have anything to offer the business. You shouldn't get into it and you can't'. And then he said something that really resonated with me. He said, Look around. This is all I have after 35 years in the business: a two-bedroom apartment in Tampa that costs 500 bucks a month. I don't want this for you'."

Nevertheless The Rock pursued his dream of building his physique into the fine specimens he admired. He gave his father an ultimatum to either train him or he would work with someone else.

"So he said he'd train me," he said.

He proved his father wrong as his wrestling career propelled him to fame. It opened the door to an acting career with roles in film including The Scorpion King, The Rundown, Be Cool, The Game Plan and Fast Five. More recently he has been filming for reboot G.I. Joe: Retaliation.