What I see in the mirror: Lesley Sharp | Beauty
What I see in the mirrorBeauty This article is more than 10 years oldWhat I see in the mirror: Lesley Sharp
This article is more than 10 years old'I'd love to be beyond beautiful, for it to be acknowledged that my face was a wonder – like Monica Bellucci or Sophia Loren'When I look in the mirror, I see my birth mum's smile in my eyes and there's a funny little bump in my cheeks that she had – it's a muscular thing. I've got a big nose, and that's from my birth father. My best feature is the colour of my eyes, but I don't know where that comes from. They are a pale to mid-blue, and there is a dark ring around the outside that makes them stand out.
My hair is fine and fair. It's quite long, which I am pleased about, because I always wanted long hair as a kid, but maybe I am too old for it at 53. Sometimes, if it's not feeling in a good mood, it can hang down and make me look like a bloodhound, and if I look mournful, I feel mournful.
I'd love to be beyond beautiful, for it to be acknowledged that my face was a wonder – like Monica Bellucci or Sophia Loren. At times I am very self-critical and disappointed with my appearance, and there are other times I think, "How lucky I am to be alive." I'd rather be looking at my face in the mirror than not be there at all.
I am constantly having a debate in my head about the ageing process. As a woman, and particularly as an actor, if you are having a bad day, you can use the way you look to give yourself a good kicking. It is important to try to be positive and not get sucked in to the way the media can create this sense of dissatisfaction about self-image. You've got to fight that fight and be accepting of yourself.
Lesley Sharp stars in A Taste Of Honey at the National Theatre from 18 February.
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