Gerard Depardieu worked as a male escort before being spotted by a theatre scout.

The French actor has revealed that he was a gigolo and petty thief before he found a career as an actor.

In his new autobiography, 'That's the Way it Was', the 65-year-old star told the writer Lionel Duroy: ''I've known since I was very young that I please homosexuals.

''I would ask them for money.''

After serving some time in prison as a teenager for stealing a car, Gerard returned to escorting, and eventually mugging, to earn more money.

He wrote: ''At 20, the thug in me was alive and kicking. I would rip some of them off. I would beat up some bloke and leave with all his money.''

The actor - who is best known for his role in 1990 movie, 'Green Card' - was eventually spotted by a talent scout, who saved him from a life on the streets.

Gerard raised eyebrows in 2008 when he became friends with the controversial Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

In reference to their relationship, he explained in his book: ''We could have both become hoodlums. I think he immediately liked my hooligan side ... the fact that I had occasionally been picked up off the pavement dead drunk.

''Like with me, nobody would have betted a penny on him when he was 15.''