The 'Run Fat Boy Run' actress - who has two children, seven-year-old Ripley and three-year-old Nico, with husband Oliver Parker - suffered from the eating disorder bulimia nervosa until she experienced an "epiphany" after having Ripley in 2000.
She is quoted as saying: "I spent my life feeling that what's impressive is being good, being smart - I didn't believe that just being me was interesting to anyone.
"My epiphany really didn't come until I had a child. So many people thought I was a really cold person, but I was just painfully shy. But having a kid made me explore how I was going to guide another beautiful being in this world. I was released - it doesn't happen for everyone, but it happened for me."
Thandie also revealed she took the role in comedy 'Run Fat Boy Run' because she wanted a break from the serious characters she portrayed in 'Crash' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness'.
She added: "I wasn't as challenged as I normally am with movie roles. I found myself getting very twitchy, because I just wanted to research and delve deeper, but there was nowhere to go, so I had to sit back and watch the comedy. It was a real fat vacation!"
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