Liam Hemsworth: I wasn't a teenage stud

Liam Hemsworth says girls only liked him as a friend at school.

The Hunger Games star makes women the world over swoon with his portrayal of Gale Hawthorne in the fantasy franchise.

He might be all about the abs these days, but the 24-year-old insists he wasn't always such a heartthrob.

"I suppose I was popular, but more as a buddy," he admitted to German magazine Bravo.

"The girls didn't find me particularly sexy."

He puts his prior lack of female attention down to the long surfer hair and freckles he sported as a teen. But he transforms into a charmer when making a movie, with reports flying he's romancing co-star Jennifer Lawrence - although she has denied this.

"I love being on set," he gushed. "When I'm working, I'm full of energy and not at all nervous. It's a different story when I see myself on screen after - that makes me very nervous."

Jennifer, also 24, has previously opened up about how much Liam has changed her life and taught her to stand up for herself. And he thinks being honest is a true sign of bravery.

"Unfortunately, not many people are," he sighed. "We retreat into ourselves and don't say what we are really thinking because we're worried about what others will think of us."

And while he doesn't think he's as brave as his alter ego Gale, he did share a moment of courage - his first kiss.

"It happened at school when we were playing truth or dare. I said dare!" he grinned.