Melissa McCarthy used to cry about not being 'thinner or prettier'

Melissa McCarthy used to cry about not being &#039;thinner or prettier&#039;

(Image credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Melissa McCarthy is often hailed for her candid approach to Hollywood's unrealistic beauty standards, but in a new interview with People, the star admits that wasn't always the case.

"In my 20s I used to cry about why I wasn't thinner or prettier," McCarthy tells the magazine. "It's a decade of tears."

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McCarthy also explains that her confidence has increased since she's made it in Hollywood. "I've never felt like I needed to change," she tells the magazine. "I've always thought, 'If you want somebody different, pick somebody else.'" She also responds to a recent headline that dubbed her "America's plus-size sweetheart": "It's like I'm managing to achieve all this success in spite of my affliction... Would you ever put that in the headline for a male star?"