Ryan Phillippe gained Hollywood fame and won fans with his piercing blue eyes and good looks in the 1990s, but the actor says he has never been interested in being just another pretty face in the movies.

Ryan Phillippe poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, March 16, 2008.(Photo source: China Daily/Agencies)

So in recent years Phillippe, 33, has focused on gritty roles in films whose stories are rooted in real-life, such as Iraq war tale "Stop-Loss" which lands in theaters on Friday.

"Stop-Loss," written and directed by Kimberly Peirce, stars Phillippe as a soldier returning from war overseas and follows his recent dramatic turns in Clint Eastwood's World War II tale "Flags of Our Fathers" and best film Oscar winner "Crash," about race relations.

As he looks to the future, Phillippe said he wants to explore more quirky and offbeat roles.

"I'm looking now to go into a more character-based direction that is maybe not as straightforward as some of the stuff I've done recently," the actor told Reuters. "Right now I'm more interested in getting a little wild."