Los Angels, Sep 15 (IANS): Actress Halle Berry didn't want to play "the gorgeous girl" when she first started out in the film industry.

The "Extant" star came from a modelling background and was desperate not to be cast in movies solely on her looks, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I didn't want to play the gorgeous girl. I came from the world of beauty pageants and modelling and right away when people heard that I got discounted as an actor," W magazine quoted Berry as saying.

"I took on roles early on that really didn't rely on my physical self at all and that was a good way to sort of get some credibility within my industry," added the actress, famous for the "Die Another Day" scene in which she walked out of the sea in a bikini.

The 50-year-old said had a hard time convincing film director Spike Lee to cast her as a "crack ho" in his movie "Jungle Fever".

"Spike Lee wanted me to read for the part of his wife and I read that part fine enough, but then I said to Spike, 'You know I really am eyeing this crack ho role, can you please let me audition for that?' And he said, 'No, no I don't see you as the crack ho," she said.