Sigourney Weaver loses roles because of her height.
The 'Prometheus' star admits some directors are reluctant to cast her in their movies because, at 6ft tall, she would tower over her male co-stars.
She said: "I've been lucky with my career. When I started, hardly anybody wanted to hire a woman who was six feet tall.
"What man wants to spend their days on set standing on an apple box just to be able to look into my eyes? A lot of directors decided to pass on hiring me."
Sigourney got her big break starring as Ellen Ripley in 'Alien' and admits it was an unusual step for her to make as she had previously been such a "snob" about movies and only wanted to work on stage.
She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "Ripley gave me a career. Without her, my life would have taken a different direction.
"I was a real snob at times and didn't really want to do cinema. All I really wanted to do was theatre."
And despite the lasting popularity of the sci-fi series, the actress doesn't want to be thought of as a legend.
She said: "I don't feel comfortable being called a legend or a star. I'm thankful for being able to provide a good living for my family but I can do without the fame part."