Charlize Theron admits that she was not very "popular" with peers growing up.

The 36-year-old actress is starring alongside Patrick Wilson in the upcoming dark comedy-drama Young Adult. Charlize plays divorced woman Mavis Gary, who returns to her small hometown to win back her happily married high school sweetheart, portrayed by Patrick.

Charlize empathises with her character Mavis, as she was not always sought after by her classmates in her youth.

"I wasn't in the popular crowd. There was a really popular girl at school and I was obsessed with her. I mean you would go to jail for that stuff today," Charlize joked to People magazine. "I was in tears one day because I couldn't sit next to her."

Charlize believes that her wardrobe may have repelled potential suitors.

"I wore really nerdy glasses because I was blind as could be and the boys didn't like [me]," she explained. "I didn't have any boyfriends, but lots of crushes."

Although the actress was sensitive to criticism initially, Charlize grew thicker skin when she reached her teens.

"I actually got a lot of the mean girl stuff from the ages of seven to 12," she added. "I was pretty much a mess in primary school. But I got that out of my system by the time I got to high school and was more immune to all of that stuff."

Young Adult will be released in December.