Ellen Barkin - Ellen Barkin Too Insecure To Act As A Teen

The Sea of Love star was devastated after she was told she wasn't beautiful enough to be an actress and admits the cruel remark filled her with self-doubt and kept her from auditioning for years.

She tells talk show host Piers Morgan, "It makes me laugh now, but I do have to say there were 10 years between the age of 15 and maybe 25 that it didn't make me laugh. I mean, I was unable to go for an audition until I was 25 years old. And I was studying acting regularly through high school and college, but I couldn't audition for anything.

"They completely crushed me. I was way too insecure. (At) 15, you're young, you're not formed. You know, you're only just finding out who you are barely... I didn't have a straight nose. I had had my two front teeth knocked out as a 10 year old and so I still had broken teeth. I have squinty eyes. I didn't fit their idea of what pretty was. And so I understand why they were discouraging. (But) I don't understand why they were mean and cruel."

And Barkin still gets furious when she thinks about other young stars who are discouraged from pursuing their dreams because of their looks.

She adds, "Sometimes I think I just - I get angry and I think who else are they doing this to? And are there still kids they're saying this to?"