Halle Berry's magical experience

A magical thing happened when I turned 40 - a light sort of went off, and I felt more self-assured and confident, like I finally had the right to be authentic about who I am, to say what I want to say. I guess that comes with getting older. Now I'm at this point in my life where I'm happy with myself. It's not because I have a really cute boyfriend or a great career, I just feel good about me. And if any one of those things should dissipate, I'd still be OK. That feels like a really good place to be.

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Javier Bardem reveals what he finds sexy

For me, the most attractive woman is the person who is at peace with herself. No matter how good that person looks, when I see somebody at peace, that is sexy to me. Parade Nov '07

Saleisha wants you to be who you are

My freshman year I went through a phase when I would think some girl was much prettier than me. Like, she's skinnier, she's taller, she has prettier eyes. I didn't hate myself, but I didn't feel that I was pretty. But at the end of the day, you can't change who you are. You can't go to sleep at night and wake up tomorrow perfectly beautiful. You just have to give what you got, and if [the world] doesn't want it, then they can leave it. Seventeen Feb '08

Ciara tells you how to get the guy

Don't automatically assume guys are going to fall for your friend over you. I used to feel self-conscious about my height, and that made me afraid to talk to guys, but then I learned that guys like confidence. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and look him in the eye. I still have days when I feel insecure, but I know that if I'm not confident in myself, there's no way I can convince anybody else to believe in me. Seventeen Feb '08

Common's writing books

I want kids to have a positive and good message. My next book is called M.E.:Mixed Emotions. It's about a child who has two parents, one who's white and one who's black. It's about how the child deals with her insecurities. All my books are about self-esteem. Cosmo Feb '08

How John Krasinski describes the perfect woman

Spontaneity is a huge thing for me...and a sense of humor. Not only that you can tell a joke but that you can laugh at yourself and are willing to laugh it off rather than hold grudges. Cosmo Feb '08

Sally Field talks about her low-self-esteem

Many people must have looked at my life and thought I was quite fortunate. But I felt lousy about myself--and as you now know, I didn't come from a place where I had a lot of self-confidence. In my late 50s I began to embrace myself in a way that I hadn't been able to before. I find that I'm not as worried anymore about what other people think. That's a comfortable place to be. And I'm starting to let go of the feeling that I need to push myself to do things. I don't want to do--an impulse that has always been linked to the feeling that I'm not enough. If you're busy thinking, Gosh, I'm not pretty or smart enough, your spirit is undernourished. The minute you tell yourself, I'm never going to feel those things again, you stop growing because you're too busy armoring yourself. O Magazine Mar '08

Jason Dooley spills what he likes in a girl

A girl's smile is always going to catch my attention. Every girl has a great smile, so if you just show it, I'll notice it for for sure. But mostly it's about being yourself. I don't like it when girls try to be too funny or overly flirty.

Jessica Alba felt ugly when she was in school

In public school in Del Rio, Texas--Jessica Alba says she was sickly--asthma, kidney problems--and ugly, bucktoothed, and swaybacked. She also says that she was friendless and talks bitterly of the clique of middle school girls who kicked dirt on her while she was eating a sandwich under a tree. Elle Mag Feb '08

Hilarie Burton says she was a geeky kid

I did not feel cute. I was totally dorky, and in second grade they realized I was blind (and needed glasses to see). I was the geeky kid, and I couldn't sit with the cool girls. It's been 15 to 20 years, and it still affects you. Los Angeles Daily News

Bruce Willis - tired of being single?

I'm comfortable being alone. I'm comfortable being single. I may fall in love again, but-for those kids who are listening to Bruce Willis for love advice - any relationship that isn't founded on friendship is just doomed. People Magazine

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Salma Hayek urges fans to not be impressed with her.

In my world, you have to be so beautiful, so skinny, so rich, so famous - and I don't believe you really have to be any of those things. You simply have to be who you are. I do have thighs and a butt. I have cellulite. Don't be too impressed with me. Don't try to dress like me or wear your hair like mine. Find your own style. Don't spend your savings trying to be someone else. You're not more important, smarter, or prettier because you wear a designer dress. I get them free and I'm too lazy to go out and look for my own. I, a rich girl from Mexico, came here with designer clothes. And one day, when I was starving in an apartment in Los Angeles, I looked at my Chanel blouses and said, "If only I could pay the rent with one of these. O Magazine

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Alfree Woodard's advice on self-esteem

When I was growing up in Tulsa, the kids called me bubble lips and frog eyes. My mama always said, "Oh, you're such a pretty girl," and I believed I was, thanks to her encouragement. Still, this was before the "black is beautiful" era of the 1970s, and everything around me seemed to negate my particular look - especially movies. The screen is one of the most influential tools in our lives, and if you don't see yourself represented it's almost as if you don't exist. As I got older, I was drawn to the power and possibility for healing that cinema and the theater offered the world, and even though I didn't resemble the typical actress - or maybe because of it - I moved to Hollywood. At auditions I was constantly told that I looked too much like an African and not enough like an African-American. I thought, this is as African-American as you get - my family has been here for 400 years! The hues of America were not being celebrated. Instead, everybody was trying to fit a homogeneous image. Then in 1986, I traveled to Zimbabwe for the first time to shoot the TV movie Mandela. I felt as if I'd been given a pure shot of oxygen. Suddenly, I was part of the dominant culture. I saw people like me. They had round faces and large eyes, with skin so warm and lips so full that I almost wanted to kiss strangers. I'd been living in Los Angeles, a world full of cubic zirconias, and here I was in the land of deep, rich-colored, genuine gemstones. I felt organically beautiful for the first time in my life. It may sound immodest, but I realized that my presence in movies gives that same validation to other young black women. They can feel free to walk their walk, swing their hips, and flash their smiles because they see themselves up on the screen. Everybody has a part of her body that she doesn't like, but I've stopped complaining about mine because I don't want to critique nature's handiwork. There's no such thing as imperfection. My job is simply to allow the light to shine out of the masterpiece. O Magazine

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Who says Nicole Kidman was gawky?

Nora Ephron said, "She (Nicole Kidman) told me that as a teen she was tall and gawky and covered with freckles. She would think, why does this body have to represent me?" Glamour Magazine

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Amy Adams says indifference hurts worse

I never really belonged to any one group in high school. I wanted to but I sort of fell through the cracks. It's not that anyone was mean to me; I just think that for the most part people were indifferent, and sometimes that hurts worse. Interview Mag, Feb '08

Drake Bell says it's really bad ...

It's really bad--sometimes I feel like we have a whole generation of Chihauhua-carrying, big sunglasses-wearing girls who are aloof all the time. You know like Paris Hilton girls. But you should be more genuine and true--stop and take the time to say hi. I'm interested in what people have to say. Seventeen Mag-Mar '08

Eva Longoria Parker, an ugly duckling???

I was the ugly duckling growing up. So I felt like I had to establish myself with my personality as opposed to my looks. So I spent a lot of time being the class clown just to compensate for my lack of beauty. Chicago Tribune 2-1-08

Brandon Routh was teased in school

There were bullies. I don't think there was just one. My mom was a teacher, and everyone thought I was goody two shoes (which I kind of was!) I got teased a lot for that. But that's in the past. It builds character and you learn from it. TWIST Sept '06

Ashley Tisdale says mean girls are just insecure

Girls get mean when they feel threatened. Sharpay's feet get stepped on, so she gets vicious. Mean girls are the same way. I think they're very insecure. They look like they have it all together, but it's a mask. If you look at them and think they are this way or that way, you're actually buying into the stereotype and making it all worse. Girls Life Aug/Sept '06

Dane Cook on the little friend in his pocket

I couldn't get a date to the prom. Now I change my name when I check into hotels. I used to go by Zang Kudrow who was an action figure I kept in my pocket when I felt shy at school. I knew he was in there, like my buddy. In Style Oct '06

John Mayer can't be with anyone that manipulates

I couldn't be with someone who uses manipulation to get what she wants. If you need my attention, just tell me. I'll do the same. And smoking. If she was trying to quit, that would be okay, but I couldn't date someone who was oblivious to the fact that it's a nasty habit. Cosmopolitan Sept '06

Great insight from Diahann Carroll

If you are happy you attract happy people, and if you are unhappy you attract unhappy people. Oprah Show

Phylicia Rashad says STOP looking for approval

Don't be preoccupied with looking for approval from other people. You're never going to be anybody but who you are. And who you are is greater than you imagine. The way that you think creates our reality. It’s very powerful. I would say to a young girl who is feeling insecure about her looks to stop. Who you are is not the way you look; who you are is who you are on the inside. And there is not a mirror in the world that can show you that. It is beautiful, it is amazing, it is awesome. Oprah Show

Rachel Bilson on sexiness

When asked what she thought was sexy Rachel said, “The guy has to be funny. He can be Screech, but if he makes you laugh, you're like – You're kind of cute. Cosmopolitan Nov ‘06

It doesn’t matter how good-looking a guy is, it just depends on his personality. If a guy can make you laugh and make fun of you, that's what wins me over. TWIST July '06

Virginia Madson on sexiness

Real sexiness comes from within. If you punish yourself for all of your flaws, you will never feel or seem sexy at all. Love yourself and celebrate your body. O Magazine Nov '06

Zack Braff reveals his body

When I take my shirt off, I don't have ripped, Brad Pitt-in-fight Club abs. I got some real-guy love handles. People Oct 16, '06

Sanaa Lathan's take on sexy

Sexiness is knowing that you belong simply because you are alive. It's owning the space you're in wherever you are. And it's opening your heart to the beauty of the moment and letting it thrill you. O Magazine Nov '06

Justin Timberlake on Sexiness

Sexy…is the way you carry what you have. I have a big nose, but I rock it. And therefore I think my big nose is sexy. I'm kidding. Sexy is a walk. Sexy isn't the clothes you wear, it's the way you wear them. Sexy is how you own your power. Jane Oct '06

When asked about his ideal girl checklist, Justin said, "Confidence is sexy to me. She must have confidence. It always attracts me. I like girls who are comfortable with themselves and have a good sense of humor. Pretty is cool, but it's not really about looks for me, it's more about personality. I like when a woman takes charge and does not just agree with everything I like -- that's boring. If a girl has self-esteem and confidence, it definitely shows. That's the most attractive thing in the world." TWIST Apr. '04

Leonardo Dicaprio unpopular? Imagine that!

I was entirely an unpopular student. I think teenage life is filled with narcissism and giant mood swings that are unnecessary and constantly inflating problems to phenomenally unrealistic proportions. GQ Dec '06

We all have horrible fears and insecurities that we need to overcome. Mine came from never feeling accepted by any group, never being received.

In school I was about a foot shorter than anyone else, always jumping up and getting laughs-a little smart-ass with a big mouth. School was like this wild safari where I could make a name for myself, but it never really worked. They just basically looked at you as the class clown and dismissed you. I never belonged. Parade Magazine Dec 12 '04

Christina Aguilera on healing your pain

I've gotten rid of a lot of the angst I used to have. I've been able to heal a lot of the pain. It's important to recognize your own self-destructive behavior and be honest about it. You're only hurting yourself or losing out on your truth and happiness. I'm not afraid of facing my own person stuff. It's so important to dig it up and figure it out and move on. I enjoy real people, down-to-earth people who are true to themselves and honest to your face-good or bad. CosmoGirl Dec '06

Cheyenne Kimball tips to make dreams come true

Whatever you're into, just do it. Don't do it for the wrong reasons. Don't do it for money or fame. You won't get anywhere that way. If you've got a passion for something, go for it. Also, write your goals down. Believe it or not, everything I write down has come true. Girls Life Oct/Nov '06

Mandy Moore on accepting yourself

I've accepted that I'm not going to be a stick-thin-model kind of girl. When I was 14, I was tall and spindly. By the time I turned 18, I had become a woman, and my body’s not going to go back to what it looked like when I was 14. Cosmopolitan Summer/Fall '06

I'm not one hundred percent comfortable in my skin, but I don’t think there are body issues. I'm learning to accept everything that I am. I've accepted that I'm not going to be a stick-thin-model kind of girl. When I was 14, I was tall and spindly. By the time I turned 18, I had become a woman, and my body's not going to go back to what it looked like when I was 14. Cosmopolitan May '06

Tyra Banks on body image

I am the first one to admit that my body isn't perfect. I love my curves. Starving myself? So not my thing. Cosmopolitan Summer/Fall '06

The modeling industry goes in and out of different styles and body types that are supposed to be hot at that moment. And right now, it's not so much the heroin-chic, because the models are looking a little bit healthier to me--and when I say healthy, I don't even mean body type, I mean just facial pigment and stuff like that. They have blush on their cheeks now again and they look a little healthier. But still such a stick, skinny ideal--which would have worked for me when I was 11 years old because I was 98 pounds and my same height and now I'm 130. So I was really, really thin and insecure. It would have worked well for me to look at that in a magazine and see that that was called beautiful. But the majority of little girls aren't that way. The majority of them are struggling with their weight and are the opposite way. So I just think it's important to show different body types and say that they are all beautiful which is not really what they do.

When I lost all this weight--I went to an all-black private elementary school--and all the kids used to call me all kinds of horrible names. Then when I went to a mixed junior high school and all of my white friends would be like, 'Oh my god, you're so gorgeous. You're so skinny. 'By the way, I looked disgusting, I looked sick. But they'd be like 'You're so skinny. I wish I could be like you.' And all my black friends would be like, 'Girl, eat a pork chop! You are so skinny.' And the white guys would be like 'Tyra's cute' and the black guys would be like, 'She's too skinny. She needs some booty. I don't want her.' So it's so cultural. And it's sad because women, when it comes to their body types, are ruled by men in their culture. So white women want to be super skinny because that's what white men seem to be attracted to. And the black guys want more meat." March GQ

Kirsten Dunst on messed-up teeth

I would never fix my teeth-if someone asked me to, I wouldn't want to work with them. It's part of me. Messed-up teeth is character.Newsweek Oct 30, '06

I have hips, I have boobs, I have a butt. It's good to be thoughtful of what goes in your mouth. I love desserts-I don't have them every day. I work out when it feels good-not so I can look like a stick. When people try so hard to be skinny, it's not pretty to me. Being comfortable with yourself is the sexiest thing.Teen People, Aug '04

Beyonce offers great "relationship" advice

You have to know exactly what you need out of a relationship. You should be finding out what makes you happy in life. I know it sounds preachy, but I'm happy that I knew that. I think everyone has her own body type and looks good at different weights – that's what’s so beautiful. There are thin women I think are beyond sexy, and then there are heavier women I think are beyond sexy. Seventeen Jan '07

Chad Michael Murray has a great rule to live by

My rule is to just be who I am. Sometimes I don't take my own advice, but I know that no matter what, I can be happy with continuing to go forward. I wake up in the morning proud of the man I'm becoming. Cosmo Girl Dec '06

Mary Elizabeth Winstead shares what's important

The majority of girls in Hollywood are a size 0 or 2. When you're surrounded by that, you can start to feel that's what you need to look like. I incorporate exercise into my daily routine. I recently started running and I do kickboxing DVDs, too. At the end of the day, the most important thing to me is being healthy and fit. Teen Vogue Feb '07

Ciara knows what makes you "fly"

Be sure of yourself and dare to be different. It's cool to stand up for yourself – that makes you even more fly. I still have some insecurities, but it's all about the confidence outweighing them. CosmoGirl Feb ‘07

Sharon Stone's Advice - Don't hang out with nonsupportive people

Every person has moments of insecurity, and everybody has someone around who'd like to help them feel insecure! Try not to hang out with them. Those are just the people who don't have enough to do. People Dec, 11, '06

Wilmer Valderrama explains what's powerful

When asked if he could change something about himself, Vilmer said, "Absolutely nothing. I am happy with myself! Whether you have a six-pack or you don't, it doesn’t really matter. It's how you carry yourself. You could be the ugliest guy in the world, but if you're a gentleman and you're confident, that's a lot more powerful." Cosmo Dec '06

Dr. McDreamy - cool or not cool

When asked if he thought he was cool as a kid Patrick Dempsey said … “Oh no, I don’t think I was ever cool.” In Style Feb. ‘07

Skeet Ulrich not cool in school?

In high school I wasn't smooth at all. I once asked a girl to the prom while she was talking on a pay phone. In Style Feb '07

Jeremy Piven's Totally Integrated

How incredible my upbringing was where the integrated student body taught me how alike we all are. Chicago Tribune Magazine/Jan 28, '07

Jim Carrey gives tips on finding Mr. or Miss Right

"I had the feeling a lot of times when I was in relationships before that I hadn't become a complete person on my own. I as hiding and going, 'I need you to fill in the puzzle,' and that's not what love is to me. Being a whole person is the only shot you’ve got at finding a person who's healthy and whole themselves." USA Today Feb 22, '07