Bradley Cooper wanted to become a ninja when he was growing up.

The 'Silver Linings Playbook' actor begged his father to send him to Japan so he could train in the ancient Japanese art of Ninjitsu and be like the country's mysterious ancient ninja clans.

He told Details magazine: ''I thought only ninjas understood the meaning of life and death. And so I begged my father to send me to Japan until I was 21, so I could train to become a ninja.''

After his ninja phase Bradley, now 38, became obsessed with soldiers and wanted to enrol in a military academy.

He added: ''I begged my father to send me to Valley Forge Military Academy. I found the number in the yellow pages. He said no.

''I was obsessed with soldiers, wanting to be a soldier. Being a kid, I was scared of dying. Didn't feel like anxiety, I just wanted to get to a state of comprehension about death. I wanted in a visceral way to comprehend mortality.''