Jennifer Connelly "didn't even watch movies" before she became an actress.

Jennifer Connelly found stardom as a child

Jennifer Connelly found stardom as a child

The 53-year-old star made her acting debut in the 1984 crime film 'Once Upon a Time in America' - but Jennifer has revealed that she never really "pursued" a career in the movie business.

During an appearance on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers', Jennifer shared: "I started working when I was so young - I started working when I was ten years old. And it wasn't something that I had pursued. I never even did a school play. Like, I didn't even watch movies."

Jennifer began her career as a child model, and her mom ultimately convinced her to become an actress instead.

The Hollywood star said: "It was my mom's idea, and I started working. And then at a certain point, when I got a little bit older, I was like, 'Do I really wanna do this? This isn't what I chose for my life.'"

Jennifer previously recalled feeling like a "product" during her younger years.

She told Australia's Marie Claire magazine: "Performing from such a young age, it kind of has an impact on the way one grows up and develops.

"There’s a lot of personal exposure … you’re putting yourself in a film, you are the product. And if that’s something that isn’t initiated by oneself as a kid, I’m sure you can imagine it can be a little uncomfortable."

Jennifer also recalled wondering whether she'd become an actress "for someone else".

The movie star explained: "There were different times, in my late teens and as a young adult, where I was like, ‘Is this really what I want to do? What is my relationship to this job?’ Because I had started so young, I felt like there was a large part of me that was doing it for someone else."


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