Tough guy wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista broke down in tears when he learned he had landed the role of superhero Drax the Destroyer in Guardians Of The Galaxy.

The former Wwe star reveals he had been questioning his decision to pursue a career in Hollywood after struggling to land his big acting break when he scored the job in the new comic book adaptation and it helped to renew his faith in his onscreen talents.

He tells the New York Post, "I was sobbing (when I landed the role)... I left wrestling, and I really pounded the pavement trying to get people to take me seriously as an actor for about three-and-a-half years... Finally there was some kind of justification that it was the right choice."

He adds, "I'm an emotional guy."

Bautista had previously only had small movie roles in Riddick and The Man with the Iron Fists. Guardians of the Galaxy reunites the grappler with his Riddick co-star Vin Diesel. Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana also feature in the film.