'I was called anorexic and Casper': Evan Rachel Wood reveals she was bullied about her slim figure and pale skin as a teen

True Blood star Evan Rachel Wood is totally gorgeous, a successful actress, and the star of the new Gucci Guilty fragrance campaign to boot — but she hasn't always felt like the stunner she is.

The 28-year-old revealed that she was teased mercilessly as a teen because of her 'unconventional' looks, and it actually took some time — and having a baby — for her to feel confident in her skin.

'I grew up being told there was only one way to be beautiful, which was very tall, curvy, tan, and blonde,' she told Yahoo! Beauty. 'I never really fit that — I was flat-chested and lanky and had braces. I was very pale and got made fun of and called anorexic and Casper.' 

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Kids stink: Actress Evan Rachel Wood said she was teased for having pale skin and a lanky body when she was younger

Not nice: When she was younger (pictured in 2001), kids would call her 'Casper' and 'anorexic' because she had pale skin and was thin

Evan explained that it took several years in the industry — she started acting at age seven and starred in the film Thirteen at 16 — for her to realize that someone with her features could be beautiful, too.

'Once I got older and I met people who didn’t care about that stuff and thought I was beautiful the way I was, I was kind of shocked,' she said. 'You just have to stay true to who you are and you’ll attract people of like minds. Now I think it’s just about confidence, when someone walks into a room and really just owns themselves and isn’t there for anybody else’s approval. That’s just the sexiest thing ever.'

She even found a beauty icon to look up to, who has the same slim frame and porcelain skin as she does: Tilda Swinton.

'She’s that perfect mixture. She’s fierce but she’s ethereal, and I think she’s such a bada**, but she’s also this flowy goddess figure almost otherworldly,' she said. 'I love how she dresses and owns herself and has never really conformed. She’s an amazing actress. And she’s tall, skinny and pale like me. I feel a kinship.' 

The right crowd: As an adult, she has learned to embrace those features by surrounding herself with people who thought she was beautiful as she was

Tips: The 28-year-old noted that the key to keeping a clear complexion is staying hydrated and releasing tension, which she used to hold in her face

That isn't to say that finding her confidence was permanent. Like most people, she admitted, she has struggled on and off with how she looks over the years, and said it it would be 'impossible' to have a positive body image 100 per cent of the time.

But having a baby, a two-and-a-half-year-old whose name she has never released, has certainly gone a long way in helping her feel her best.

'It’s actually made me feel more comfortable in my own skin, because it empowered me in a way that made me care less about…I had less to prove,' she said. 'There’s so much inside of me and so much I’ve done and am proud of that I’m less worried about this outer appearance. 

'That’s not to say I don’t still have a lot of fun with hair and makeup looks. I just think I’ve found my identity and stuff I can play with instead of feeling like I had to fit into a box that I didn’t quite fit into.'

She recommends for other women who need a boost to feel the same way just get out there and take more chances. Sure, she added, they'll probably end up looking back at some of their choices and wondering, 'What the hell was I thinking?' but that's the only way to find 'where you’re going to shine'. 

Total role model: She added that she feels a kinship with actress Tilda Swinton who is 'bada**' and a 'flowy goddess figure'

And as far as her Casper-pale skin goes, it also helped that Evan has learned how to take care of it. 

These days, she stays away from coffee, sips on green tea, and generally keeps hydrated. She also makes sure never to sleep in make-up, and to exfoliate every day to keep her 'small pores' and 'very oily skin' clear.

But her best beauty tip ever came from former Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, who once told her that the trick to good skin is to 'release stress and relax', because stress can wreck havoc on your skin. 

The words of wisdom made Evan that realized she needed to stop clenching her jaw and holding tension in her face — and she's seen results.