Sam Worthington's skirt success

Mar 31, 2010, 6:01 GMT

Sam Worthington thinks wearing a skirt has boosted his career.

The 'Clash of the Titans' actor - who plays Perseus, son of the gods in the new movie remake - insists he didn't feel embarrassed about having to wear the skimpy garment in the film as it is something he has seen other Australian actors do in their earlier work.

He said: "The upside is that it's very well ventilated. Look, Russell Crowe wore one for 'Gladiator', Eric Bana wore one for 'Troy', Mel Gibson wore one for 'Braveheart'. I think it was the next logical step in my career. I think it's something every young Australian actor has to do, isn't it? You earn your chops for putting on the dress."

While Sam is comfortable with the attention he received for wearing the outfit, he was unprepared for the stir created by the red sneakers he wore to the Academy Awards earlier this month because they were a cheap, last-minute purchase.

He explained to Parade.com: "The ones they gave me made me look like a hobgoblin. Jennifer Lopez would have tripped on them, and I would probably have fallen off the stage and ripped her dress. It would have been ridiculous, so I just kind of went with what was comfortable.

"I bought a pair of red ones for a few bucks at Payless, which was the closest store. I didn't give a crap how they looked because they were comfy. But I guess the word spread, which is kind of cool. They sold every red pair they had. Now I guess I'm kind of the Payless poster boy."