Dame Joan Collins was told to "drop six pounds immediately" when she first arrived in Hollywood.
Dame Joan Collins was ordered to lose weight when she arrived in Hollywood
The 90-year-old actress was put on several fad diets and "mocked" for her "thin hair" and "moon face", which knocked her confidence as she embarked on a film career in the US.
She told Platinum magazine: "As a teenager, I struggled with self-confidence. When I first went to Hollywood in 1955 after being signed by 20th Century Fox, I was mocked because I had fine, thin hair and what they called a 'moon face'. I thought it was rather unkind because all the women who worked in the make-up department were all much older than me.
"When I went to Hollywood I was told I needed to drop six pounds immediately, so I was put on different diets. One was the banana and milk and cottage cheese diet and the other was just meat and vegetables. I tried both of those. They were both awful!"
Nowadays, Joan's diet includes lots of meats, salads, and fruit - but she avoids chocolate because of her sweet tooth.
The 'Dynasty' star said: "I'd describe my diet now as sensible. I've just had fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, I'll probably have coronation chicken and salad for lunch, then some chicken or meat for dinner. I eat meat two or three times a week and don't believe in depriving the body of food we were meant to eat, although I suffer from an addiction to sweets and in particular chocolate, so I can't have them in the house!"