Verne Troyer's Action Dream

Verne Troyer wants to be an action hero.

The 40-year-old 2 ft 8 inch star - who is most well known for his role as Mini-Me in the 'Austin Powers' movies - said he hopes to one day play the leading man to show the world he's more than just a short actor.

He said: "I can play the leading man. I can play the action hero, maybe in just a different way. I look at it as, you know, if you set your mind to it, you can do it.

"And I'm just trying to show people that I'm more than Mini-Me, even though I loved playing him and I'd do him again in a minute if Mike Myers asked me. The only part that I don't really like is when a person sees me on the street they say, 'Mini-me, I'm your greatest fan.' And it's like, 'If you're my greatest fan you should know my name.' "

The 'Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus' star also said it was his parents who gave him the boost to succeed.

He told Parade magazine: "My parents are the ones that gave me the opportunity to be able to be here and do what I'm doing. They always taught me that you can do anything you set your mind to.

"My whole family is average size. I have an older brother and a younger sister and, basically, they didn't treat me any different. I had to do everything that they did. So I learned that you need to stay optimistic, stay positive. I still believe that. Hollywood's a tough, tough business."