Ryan Reynolds would have been a Mountie if he hadn't become an actor.

The 'Buried' star grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and is convinced he would have followed in the footsteps of his father James and joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - famous for their distinctive red uniforms - if he hadn't followed his thespian dream.

Ryan - who is the youngest of four brothers, one of which became a Mountie - said: "I would probably have been one (a Mountie) too, if it wasn't for this job. Being a Mountie is actually a dirtier, rougher, and a much more difficult job than you'd think."

The 33-year-old Hollywood star - who is married to screen beauty Scarlett Johansson - didn't believe he could make a career out of acting until he reached his 20s, because he was embarrassed about his passion as a teenager.

Ryan - whose breakout role was in 2002 comedy movie 'NATIONAL LAMPOON's Van Wilder' - added in an interview with The Times newspaper: "It wasn't until my mid-20s that I began to fall in love with it, and see the possibilities, and embrace all the actor c**p that I used to get so embarrassed about. In the early days it was all just about cracking one-liners, not being vulnerable."