Considered to be one of the most beautiful and sexy women in the world, Susan Ward was born on April 15, 1976 in Monroe, LA. An animal lover as a child, she grew up wanting to become a veterinarian. Until she was 13, that was what she wanted to do, but a local modeling agent changed her mind. Susan as well as her mother, traveled through New York, to see about getting Susan a modeling job. It seems that Susan thought it was a good way to earn money, that way, she would be able to finance her way into veterinary training. But, within their week long trip to New York, Susan had already signed onto a contract with Ford Modeling Agency. After appearing in many print ads, she decided to study acting. Which lead to a recurring role on "All My Children." Later, she starred alongside Keri Russell and Charisma Carpenter, on the night-time soap, "Malibu Shores, " which was directed by Aaron Spelling. Although Malibu Shores only survived for eight episodes, Susan found other jobs in such films as Poison Ivy: New Seduction (1997), and she even worked with Aaron Spelling, again, in the daytime soap "Sunset Beach." Next, Susan starred in the thriller "The In Crowd, " released in August 2000.

Currently Susan can be seen in the box office smash hit "Shallow Hal" starring along side Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black and Jason Alexander.

Chauncé Hayden: You have to be excited that "Shallow Hal" is doing so well at the box office.

Susan Ward: I'm very excited! The movie is tremendous! It is so good! It's the funniest movie that I've seen in a few years. I think right now everyone needs a good release, and this film is the perfect thing for that. Honestly, this movie is just hysterical!

What do you say to those who feel the film mocks people who are overweight?

I don't think the film makes fun of them. If anything, the film teaches us to see the inner beauty in people. The film teaches us to go beyond looks. The Farrelly brothers are known for taking things that people are embarrassed about, like tripping or having a booger in your nose, and making it inhuman then turning around and making it human again. They make human insecurities okay and acceptable.

But if you were an overweight woman, would you feel comfortable sitting in a theater and watching "Shallow Hal"?

Definitely! It's not a movie that makes fun of people. It's actually making fun of the people who make fun of overweight people. The movie is about not judging a book by its cover. Plus, the movie isn't just about overweight people, it's about people who maybe aren't so attractive in everyone's eyes. It's about people's insecurities. It's about all the things that nobody wants to talk about.

Personally, what are you insecure about?

Um ... that's hard to say. I guess I'm insecure about acceptance from others. I think everyone is insecure about something, and mine is being accepted by others and being able to have my friends around.

That's a common insecurity with actors.

Yeah, but you meet a lot of people when you're in this business, and all of a sudden a movie like this comes out and you have 800 friends! But those same people aren't there for you when you need them. Like if you stub your toe in the middle of the night, or if you need somebody to sleep over.

No comment. So is it odd when those same friends don't return your calls when a movie doesn't do well?

Yeah! Those same people won't call you or believe in you if you don't do well. When you're up, you're up and people want to be your friend. But when you hit rock bottom, people suddenly pull away. That's when you know who your real friends are.

That's a tough way to love, isn't it?

I just keep my real friends around me and I don't deal with anybody else. I have a great group of friends and they know that I love meeting new people, but they also know that I get my feelings hurt. You just have to guard yourself.

Were you really a tomboy growing up?

Yes!

Are you still?

Not so much as I was then. But I'm definitely more of a guy's girl than I am a girlie girl.

I read that guys usually break up with you rather than the other way around. That can't be true.

Definitely true!

That's impossible.

No, it's not impossible at all! (Laughs)

Who are these guys?

I don't know, and I don't want to think about them anymore!

So you've actually had your heart broken?

I've had my heart broken a ton! No matter what you look like or what you do or who you know, there's still shitty people out there. A lot of people aren't so friendly.

Do you ever wish that you weren't a beautiful celebrity so that you could meet normal people?

Definitely! But you know what? It's not only Hollywood. You just have to be a good judge of character. You have to be able to see through a person to know if they're a good person or not. Yeah, I do wish I didn't live in Hollywood in so many ways because you're just looked at so much. Everything about you is criticized. You're always under a microscope no matter what you do or say or wear! It's never good enough!

I'm amazed that you can put yourself in a situation where you're considered the flavor of the month by Hollywood's standards. Does that ever bother you?

It's tough, but you have to be smart about your career. You have to make good decisions. At this point, there are so many projects out there that are crap and can just ruin your career. But a lot of people want to work. They don't care about longevity. Fortunately, I care because I want to work for the rest of my life.

Acting's a tough career, but you seem to have a level head about it.

It's just a job. You have to look at it that way. It is a lifestyle too, but you don't have to make it that way. I live a completely normal life outside of acting.

Define normal.

I'm doing my laundry today, and after that I'm cleaning my house. I walk my dog every day and I go on hikes. To be honest, most of my friends aren't in the business. I don't need anybody to hold my hand or to do things for me. I can do things for myself and there's nothing more boring in the world than sitting around talking about acting.

Your friends don't treat you like a celebrity?

What? Are you kidding me? Not at all! When I go to my friend's house, I have to cook dinner and do the dishes! I'm not put on a pedestal or treated differently by any means.

Yeah, but you know what it's like when you go to these premieres and special celebrity events. Are you really uncomfortable being treated special?

Very uncomfortable! I break out in hives! I get panic attacks! I don't do well in public situations at all. At the "Shallow Hal" premiere, my boyfriend came up to me and said that my feet were shaking. I was actually shaking so much that my feet were actually trembling!

What is it that makes you so uncomfortable?

Everyone is just staring at you, and if you make one wrong move or say one thing wrong, you're screwed!

Or that one picture that doesn't capture your best side ...

Exactly! You're ugly and you gained 20 pounds! You're under the microscope and there's nothing you can do about it. I just don't do well at premieres or parties or anything else to do with the business. I just freak out!

You started out in the business as a model when you were just 13 years old. That's a very young age to be thrown into that world.

Very young.

Did you grow up fast?

Yeah, but I don't regret it in any way.

What made you want to model?

It was an easy way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time.

What did you need a lot of money for at 13?

I wanted to go to veterinary school.

Do you regret not ever becoming a vet?

No, I'm way too squeamish now! I honestly can't deal with death and illness in an animal!

We always hear about the drugs, the booze, and the decadence associated with many young models. Was that ever a part of your life?

That was not part of my life at all. At Ford, they are pretty strict and I was so young that none of that was ever around me. I was extremely fortunate when it came to avoiding that. Drugs and alcohol were never a part of my life. My parents ran halfway houses, so I saw the damage that those things can do to you. It was always such an ugly thing to me.

Was the move from modeling to acting a difficult one for you to make?

My friends were in acting classes at night, so I would go with them and hang out. I never thought it would be a career. But when I got the role on "All My Children," that led to "Malibu Shores," and before I knew it I was living in L.A.

How do you handle rejection when you don't get roles?

Like anything else, rejection will get to you. But I've been around it so much since such a young age that I don't take it personally. Sometimes when you're older and you start acting, I think you take rejection more personally. I just don't at all. It's just a job.

There's a rumor on the Internet that you and Kid Rock shared a very intimate moment together. Is it true?

It's just not true. I've never met the man. I have no idea where that sick rumor came from.

Do you check out what's being said about you online?

No, if it's not my friends saying it, then I really don't care. In fact, I don't even own a computer. I'm a pen-and-paper kind of girl.

I don't know how you can resist checking out what's being said about you.

You just can't control it, so what's the point? When things first started being written about me a few years ago, I got a little obsessive. Every day I would make my publicist or my friends tell me what's being said about me. But the more you say something's not true, the more attention it gets, so it's best just to leave it alone.

You've appeared in Maxim magazine, but would you ever do Playboy?

No. I'll never do Playboy.

Even when you're 35?

No. I respect the people who do it, but when I walk down the aisle to get married, I don't need my father or my grandfather or my future husband's best man to know what my boobs look like. I really don't. I don't need any of those people to see me naked.

Not even for three million?

No, I'm just not interested in it.

How did appearing in Maxim magazine help your career?