Lenny Kravitz believed that his dreadlocks got him typecast when it came to movie roles.
The rocker has moved into acting over the last couple of years and he is set to star in The Hunger Games this week.
But his off camera appearance lead to him being offered on 'bad boy' type roles until Precious came along, which changed studios' perspective of the actor.
Speaking to New York Magazine's Vulture blog the actor said: "I was offered all kinds of things, but most of these offers came in when I had the dreadlocks because I had them for so many years.
"So they were basically casting me as this dreadlocked, tattooed, ear-and nose-ringed character.
"No one was using their imagination, and nobody asked me if I'd ever cut my hair, so it was always these stereotypical sort of roles and I was like, 'Eh.'
"So Precious came as a fluke which then opened the door, and now here I am and all these great things are starting to come my way. And now people are kind of like, 'Oh, he's kind of serious about doing this.'"
Precious proved to be the break through role for Kravitz and he is now playing Cinna in the big screen adaptation of the popular Suzanne Collins novels.
The Hunger Games is released 23rd March.
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