Downton Abbey star Allen Leech wants to set the record straight.
He was never bullied as a child nor was he a "crippling" shy kid.
In fact, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia has got his childhood all wrong, he says.
His Wikipedia page suggests Leech was cast as the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard Of Oz because needed his own badge of courage.
The Wikipedia entry says UK actor was "bullied", "introverted" and "refused to go out the front door" of his Irish home.
Leech says he's been trying to hose down the story ever since it appeared but the myth keeps popping up during interviews for the Seven Network series Downton Abbey.
He says playing the Cowardly Lion definitely gave him the taste for an acting career but the choice of role had nothing to do with being shy.
"Playing the Lion was the first time I did any acting and during an interview years ago, a reporter latched on to that and made it up about me being shy and bullied as a kid," Leech says.
"It's just not true and I'm delighted I can set this right.
"I was never like that and I was actually a very confident kid and the reason I got the part was that I was outgoing and always up for a laugh even at that age.
"I told my agent to take it down because its's ridiculous."
Leech has appeared in a number of TV show series over the past decade although his role as chauffeur Tom Branson on Downtown Abbey is clearly his most successful.
The fourth season of the period drama series starts in February and a fifth has been ordered.
Leech says the cast knew Downton Abbey was a hit once the third season was commissioned.
"Getting season three made was when cast knew everyone was watching and we were over the hump," Leech says.
There may only be 10 episodes per season but the series soaks up a lot of time, leaving minimal room for cast members to pursue side projects.
Still, Leech has been fortunate enough to stay busy in the months Downton Abbey is in hiatus and his most recent project is a feature film, The Imitation Game, alongside Keira Knightley.
"It works out we film for nine months of the year for 11 hours of TV and compared to some of the American shows we are still cheaper to make," he said.
"Every episode is treated and filmed like a feature movie and that's why it has a great look on TV.
"I've been very lucky in relation to being able to do other things between Downton."
Leech says the cast has taken up the fight to have the series, which has already screened in the UK, fast-tracked around the world.
He says it's testament to the quality of the show that it still rated strongly in Australia despite being screened several months after going to air in the UK.
"Downton is the kind of show, because it has such a solid basis now, that people are getting very excited and are prepared to wait for it," Leech says.
* Downton Abbey season four returns on Sunday, February 23 at 8.40pm
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