Jason Schwartzman saved by acting

Sep 1, 2010, 5:00 GMT

Jason Schwartzman always felt he was the "wrong person" until he broke into acting.

The 31-year-old star was delighted when he was offered an audition for his debut movie 'Rushmore' after a chance meeting at a party when he was 17 because he finally felt he had found his role in life.

He said: "Someone paid attention to me! I was so used to people talking to me to get to my friend instead.

"I'd always felt like I was the wrong person. But then I read the script and there was an explosion in my brain. Everything I find funny was right there."

The 'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World' star - whose mother is 'Rocky' star Talia Shire and his uncle is filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola - also claims he never wanted to be an actor when he was younger, because he didn't like the hair cuts many child stars had.

He explained: "This woman used to cut my hair as a kid and surrounding her mirror were little head shots of child actors with spiky hair dressed as cowboys and everything.

"And I just thought, 'Man, that's not me,' and that's why I got into music."