Mena Suvari confesses that she "got really frustrated" with the entertainment industry for a while.

The 33-year-old actress shot to fame at the age of 20 for her work in Academy Award-winning film American Beauty.

Mena found it a struggle to cope with fame as a young woman.

"I got really frustrated with [the industry], and I felt very rebellious towards it, because I didn't feel like I was in control of my life, and that bothered me," she told British newspaper The Independent.

"I had to stay true to who I was, and pursue the kinds of things I was interested in. I decided to go that route. There were things I chose not to work on, because it didn't do anything for me."

The Hollywood celebrity lifestyle doesn't appeal to Mena.

The star works for art, not for status.

"I've been to parties where people have walked up to me and said, 'I will do whatever it takes to become famous'. And that's scared the hell out of me!" she recalled.

"[I've got] a love-hate relationship. When did it all become about celebrity and perfection? Especially in Los Angeles."